TwoTailed
by chibibunny18
Summary: Kurama meets Nyako, a girl who just isn't impressed with him. He intends to change her mind, without realizing the pain she's enduring. Koenma lets the Tante in on a little secret; that Nyako's more than a human and she's about to get collared!
1. Chapter 1: Heights

_**Chapter 1: Heights**_

She sat at the edge of the window, admiring the tiny town at her feet. Her toes caught the crisp fall air as it swung under her long legs that stuck out the window. Carefully she balanced on the window ledge, seeing if she would tip the wrong way and fall to her death.

"Hmmm. Comfy Momo?" The girl spoke to her only companion, her cat who sat watching her on the bed. She looked at the cat and smiled, hoping that some company would come from the feline. When none did, she continued to tip back and forth. Her high school uniform lay on her bed, untouched by the cat's hair.

"One day, we'll get the hell outta here neko-chan. I promise…" The girl mumbled. The air flooded the room and the cat curled up on the girl's pillow; purring and waiting for her company.

"Hey….kid…. get me some…water…" A man spoke from behind her, clinging to the doorway and settling his head on the cool wall. His head was full of messy brown hair and a hint of gel. She pulled herself back from the ledge and stood up straight. Her black hair fell over her shoulders and rested over her chest like Eve's.

"Yeah, sure." The girl spoke quietly, knowing the man was hung over and need some aspirin and a good meal before he passed out in his bed or on the couch. "Wait for me neko-chan, I'll come back." She left the room, now filled with the smell of alcohol from the man's rancid breath. The air wasn't strong enough to wisk it away from her mind.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ MORNING ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The school was quiet as he walked down the hall during lunch time. He brushed his red hair behind him and took in the cool autumn breeze that came through the open windows. The warm sun was no match for the cold front moving in.

"Minamino-senpai! Could you help me with a math problem really quick?!" A younger boy asked Kurama as he admired the view outside. Kurama faced the boy and saw a line forming from behind him to see what he was up to.

"Of course." Kurama answered sweetly, continuing to play the part of Shuichi Minamino, perfect student. The boy showed Kurama his homework and quickly Kurama noticed that the boy wasn't following the right steps to finish the equation.

"Thank you Minamino-senpai! You are the greatest!" The boy smiled and ran off, telling all his friends about "Shuichi's smile" and "Shuichi's gentle nature".

{Of course- you would have to be the one to have female AND male admirers.} Youko teased, making fun of the ningens.

{Not my fault.}

{Too bad you never give me the chance to run around, Shuichi…} Youko pouted.

Kurama made his way up the stairs to the roof top where only a few people would be. The weather seemed to be colder each day, the onset of some storm brewing. The door to the outdoors was already open, signaling that others were wasting their time outside too.

"Stop it! Lemme GO!" A girl's voice yelled as Kurama walked into the chilly weather. He looked to his right and saw a circle of guys pushing a girl around; almost throwing her to each other.

"Look at her go!" A boy laughed as he shoved her really hard straight down to the ground. The wisps of black hair landed on the cement and finally he saw her face. Her fiery magenta eyes loaded with anger.

"Is there a problem?" Kurama stepped forward. The boy's snapped their heads in Kurama's direction and stepped towards him.

"No, _Shuichi-senpai_." The boys spat at Kurama as they walked away, punching each other's arms and laughing crudely. Kurama walked over to the girl and dropped to his knees, looking at her gently.

"Are you okay?" Kurama asked the girl who was holding herself up on her elbows. She looked up at the boy and her eyes were only a little bit softer.

"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks." She spoke harshly, trying not to show too much gratitude. She looked at her hands and notice that they were bleeding from the force of being thrust against the ground.

"Can I take you to the nurse?" Kurama offered the girl. She was pushing her long black hair out of the way so she could see where she was going. Kurama offered his hand to her and she glared at him.

"I'm fine. You can go now." She said with no emotion.

{Ungrateful!!!} Youko hissed.

{Relax!}

"Not until I know you are okay." Kurama stood up and scooped the girl up.

"Hey! Put me down!" The girl squirmed and wiggled in his arms. Kurama started off towards the nurse's office with the stubborn girl in his arms. She blushed and tried to hold her skirt so that it wouldn't reveal her underwear to the rest of the school. The hallways were littered with Kurama's fans that either glared at the girl or cried from jealously. "You are just making your life harder…" The girl mumbled as Kurama walked into the nurse's office and set her down on an empty bed. Carefully he grabbed some disinfectant and some gauze to clean off her hands.

"I am not worried about them. Show me your hands." Kurama asked the girl. She glared at him stubbornly. He tilted his head to the side and raised his eye brows. "If you don't clean them, they get filled with pus. You want that?" Kurama mentioned. She flung her hands out at him and groaned as he cleaned the wounds carefully.

"You never asked for my name. That's rude." She spoke softly, trying to be more grateful. Kurama smiled and looked at her. She never looked at him, but she seemed to find silence awkward.

"You never asked for mine." Kurama retorted back. The girl sighed and shifted her legs. Kurama noticed a bruise poking out from the top of her thigh highs. His anger for the boys grew; already she was bruising.

"I already know who you are, Shuichi Minamino. Famous boy-wonder. I don't need to ask." She replied. Kurama laughed and she looked at his calm and genuinely happy face. She rolled her eyes and looked away as he bandaged her palms up to keep them from getting infected.

"Then you are?" Kurama asked.

"Nyako. Nyako Sato." She spoke forcefully, not even trying to be cute or sweet. Kurama looked at her and for once was happy that she didn't seem the least bit awed by his good looks or his reputation.

"Well Nyako, it looks like you are going to live. Are you a transfer student?" Kurama asked the girl. Nyako stood up and looked over her shoulder at the boy wonder. She smirked dangerously.

"You wish." Nyako walked out of the room with a grace and speed that Kurama hadn't seen in a long time. The girl left him wondering and speechless.

{That's an interesting ningen right there…} Youko remarked.

{She sure is something…}

{Would be a good chase…} Youko puzzled.

"Minamino-san, what are you doing here?" The nurse asked Kurama. He smiled and bowed, explaining that he was taking care of one of his peers who had fallen outside. She smiled a lovingly at him and thanked him for being so sweet and good natured.

"Thank you again!" Kurama said as he left the nurses office to get back to his class room. As he stepped outside the door, he noticed a head of black hair and fiery magenta eyes waiting for him. "You waited?" Kurama asked, astonished.

"No. I forgot to mention something." Nyako added. She looked at the boy closely and made a final deduction. "Don't think you can follow me, I'm not interested." Nyako smiled and walked off down the hall to her classroom. Kurama stood there, confused and delighted that she would present a challenge.

"You will be…" Kurama whispered as he walked back to class.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

There is chapter one! Woot!

Bunny: *huggles everyone* you are all so amazing!

Kurama: there is only two people in this fic so far!

Bunny: *nods* I know! I still love all of YYH.

Hiei: Bunny could never own us, she can't beat any of us in a fight, so she can't call us property. Ha *flits off*

Bunny: *cries* T.T it's true! WAAAAHHHH

Lovels- Bunny!

P.S.- for those who are reading this over again, I DID change the name! Do not freak out on me okay! You aren't seeing things! The original idea was to make her name her opposite… but as the story changes….. so does the character!

Nya (cat sound= meow)+ ko (common ending for girls names)= NYAKO!


	2. Chapter 2: Agility

_**Chapter 2: Agility**_

She walked home, worried about who would be there to welcome her back into the house. The afternoon air was drawing her into the city, where all the busy commotion was coming from. Slowly she found herself sitting down on the steps of a temple. It was lonesome and she was sure that she would have some privacy before she went home. Her hair blew in her face, annoying the tip of her nose as it grazed by. Carefully she braided it on the side of her head. She ran the events of last night through her head.

"Nyako, lovely to see you here." A familiar voice spoke clearly to her. Her eyes flickered open as the boy-wonder stood in front of her with a few people behind her.

"Oi, Kurama, who is this?" A boy with black hair and a green uniform asked. Nyako eyed the boy with suspicion as she didn't recognize the name.

"This is Nyako Sato, from school. I didn't realize you were stalking me." Kurama laughed as the girl looked frustrated and worried. He offered his hand but she refused it.

"Who are you, Kurama or Minamino?" Nyako asked in all honesty. Kurama laughed.

"My friends call me Kurama, it's a nick name. Why don't you come up for a while?" Kurama asked the girl. She stubbornly turned to the side, thinking. Kurama looked at her profile and smiled, knowing she would say yes eventually.

"Fine. For a while." Nyako agreed, grabbing her book bag and following Minamino inside the temple. She listened as the group of boys talked all the way up to the temple where they were greeted by three happy girls. Nyako was grateful to be in the presence of more estrogen.

"Let me introduce you- Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei. Then, Keiko, Yukina, Botan. Will you remember that?" Kurama teased. Nyako glared at him and turned her head, ignoring the boy's playful teasing.

"Oi, Nyako, where do you live?" Yusuke asked the girl. She looked at him, her eyes distant.

"Only a couple blocks from here. I was on my way home." Nyako added. Kurama sensed a tension in her voice. Yusuke seemed nervous, feeling how hostile she was.

"Would you like me to walk you home?" Kurama replied. Nyako looked at the boy shocked.

"Do you always play the role of gentleman?" She demanded, feeling like she was some helpless girl. The gang broke out into laughter, causing Nyako to almost jump out of her skin.

"Yeah, basically he does! Even to guys! The kitsune's got a way with people!" Yusuke laughed, slapping his knee and smiling. Nyako tried not to laugh, but it seemed like it was almost infectious. Her magenta eyes seemed to relax a bit when Yusuke and Kuwabara took the heat off of her by fighting about nothing.

"Nyako-san, would you like to help me get some tea?" Yukina asked the girl. Nyako looked at the kimono-clad girl and then at Kurama. The boy nodded and watched as the fiery eyed girl got up reluctantly to help.

"Where did you find that one?" Yusuke asked the kitsune. Kurama shrugged, happy that he was given a chance to win over the girl.

"We go to school together." Kurama replied.

"I can see that." Yusuke laughed.

"Meow" There was a small sound heard from Kuwabara's pocket as he pulled out his little kitten and held her.

"Wow, Kazuma! She has gotten much bigger!" Yukina smiled as she walked back in the room with tea and some cups. Nyako walked in with more cups and noticed the little cat that was sitting in Kuwabara's hands.

"Aww! That is such an adorable kitten!" Nyako smiled sweetly. Suddenly, she realized how stupid she sounded and quickly gazed down at the cups as she helped pass them out. The gang looked at her and laughed, smiling.

"Don't worry; it's funnier when Kuwabara says something stupid… though it happens to be all the time!" Yusuke laughed. Nyako sat down next to Kurama and watched as Kuwabara set the kitten down to beat the crap out of Yusuke. Slowly, the kitten made its way over to Nyako and rubbed herself up against the girl.

"Looks like you are loved, Nyako." Keiko said sweetly. She looked up at Keiko nervously. The kitten crawled into her lap and purred softly, reminding Nyako of her own precious cat. Nyako picked up the kitten and set it down on the ground when she got up.

"I have to go." She said quickly. Nyako grabbed her book bag and ran for the door, rushing to put her shoes on. Kurama looked around the group and then took off for the girl.

"Nyako, why are you leaving so suddenly?!" Kurama wondered.

"Don't get familiar with me!" Nyako yelled as soft as she could. Her eyes were angry again, but this time they were laced with fear. Kurama went to go and touch her shoulder, but found that she pushed him backwards and was falling down the steps to the main foyer.

"Nyako!" Kurama yelled as he went to grab her hand from falling from a short distance, but found that she twisted her body around to land on her feet; her hands bracing herself.

"OW!" Nyako cried out, confused and in pain. She looked at her palms and noticed blood leaking through the bandages. When she stood up, she caught the worried look, and ran out of the door.

"What's going on Kurama?" Keiko asked the kitsune. He had an unsure look on his face.

"She didn't fall. I don't understand." Kurama said out loud. Keiko tilted her head and looked at the red head, not sure what to say in response.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NYAKO~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"What the hell is going on with me!?" Nyako cried as she felt the pain of her bleeding palms. She walked alone down the street to her apartment; the sad and lonely apartment that she lived in.

{Why is this happening? First I'm not afraid of heights anymore, now I'm an acrobat! What is going on!?} She thought to herself.

"Hey, kid, what are you doing home so late!?" A dark voice yelled as Nyako closed the front door. She looked at the familiar person who had become a stranger to her over the past year and a half. He was drunk and stumbling.

"I…I…ran into a kid from school who wanted my help on some homework… I'm sorry …It won't happen again…" She looked away and set her book bag on the table. The drunken man advanced on her and was already holding a belt before she could beg.

"Damn right it won't!" The man yelled as he hit her over and over, finally drawing blood from her back and shoulders. She tried her best not to cry or scream as the drunken man beat her black and blue.

"I'm SORRY! I'm REALLY SORRY!" She cried out. He refused to relinquish his control of the belt until she was a crumbled heap of once a person on the floor. Finally he stumbled back into the living room and set the belt some where on the table, getting ready to pass out in his favorite chair.

{Mom, I'm sorry I'm not better… I'm sorry I'm not stronger….I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…} She cried inside.

Slowly she rose to her feet, blood already dripping down the back of her legs. She tried to run to the bathroom so she wouldn't get blood on the pristine carpet that she had cleaned days earlier.

"Owww…. Damn it!" She cursed herself. The door squeaked open as a cat pushed its way into the bathroom and onto the counter. "Ohh… MOMO!" The girl pulled her shirt over her head and looked at the lashes on her back. They weren't too deep, and should clean up if she was careful.

"Please don't worry Momo, I'll be fine…" Nyoko spoke to her cat softly, her eyes happy to see her cat waiting for her. Her back stung as she stepped into the shower and felt the hot water sear it closed and help clot the blood.

"HOLY CRAP!" Nyako tried to not scream from the pain. Her black hair fell in front of her face, falling out of the braid. The blood rushed down the drain; a dark cherry red that caught Nyako's eyes. When she stepped out of the shower, she quickly wrapped her back up with lots of bandages, making her chest look way smaller. She marveled at the difference it made.

"Are you almost done Nyako? What are you doing about dinner?" The voice on the other side of the door floated in. Nyako opened the door slightly and found her father's sobering face smiling.

"Give me a moment dad; I'll make us something to eat. Go lay down." Nyako instructed her father. She was happy that her father was coming back to her; that he was almost real again.

{Please let him stay like this for a little while more…}She begged.

"Is there anything I can do?" Her dad asked. She shook her head and shut the door, the pain in her back taking her attention. It would take every inch of her control to keep the pain a secret.

{How can I blame him if he doesn't know?} Nyako mumbled to herself.

"Let's go Momo. I love you." Nyako smiled as she put on a fresh set of clothes and threw the bloody uniform in the dirty hamper. She opened the door to see her smiling father in an apron, goofing off.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

That is it! Chapter two is done! Wow… this is really an emotional topic.

And if you know someone who is stuck in this situation- I recommend you get help for them.

It is easy to just sit and take it if you are used to it…. But someone really needs to reach out and help those who need it.

Bunny: *sighs* I have a feeling that this fic is going to contain lots of blood and violence.

Yusuke: but you are normally all about romance….

Bunny: *pouts* yeah… I know…

Hiei: this will be a better fic for me then.

Bunny: there will still be romance. Don't kid yourself Hiei!

Hiei: crap. Baka onna. *growls*

Thanks! Read and review!

Lovels, bunny-chan!

P.S.- AGAIN- if you read before and wondered why I changed the name… then you should probably check the bottom of chapter 1 because that is where I explain everything.

Just know that the name didn't fit the character she grows into.

That's all!


	3. Chapter 3: Naps

_**Chapter 3: Naps**_

She was falling in her dreams…

_The wind was strong as she plummeted towards the blackness that meant death. There was no way to save her self. All of her hard work to show her mother that she was going to be great… there was no way to save it and rewind. The end. This was it. Death._

"_NO!!!!" She screamed. Her body stopped, it felt warm. She was swallowed by a glowing light…_

"Nyako…." A voice whispered in her ear. It was soft and it felt like a comforting blanket to her. Slowly she felt her body rigid against the concrete walls of the school. The pain rose up and down her back, but she tried to ignore it. Her eyes fluttered open to see emerald ones smiling at her. Mentally, she groaned.

"Go. Away." She closed her eyes again and turned her head away from the boy who was eyeing her suspiciously. His body slumped against the wall next to hers and she could feel him continue to stare at her. Slowly, she tried to recall the first time she saw him.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ FLASH BACK ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The red head at the front of the class smiled as everyone filled in to see him. He was just like her, a first year; and yet, he had already claimed so much glamour that the graduating class practically wanted to adopt him.

"Isn't he adorable!" On girl cried out in glee. She was ditzy, no brains; so it didn't matter what she thought.

"Hey, Nya-chan, what do you think of Shuichi-sama?" A voice asked her from behind. Nyako turned around and stared at her best friend Ume. Her cheeks were flushed and it looked as if Ume had attempted to look prettier than normal.

"I don't care about pretty boys like that." Nyako mumbled and went back to staring at him; hating him. She found that she didn't really have anything other to do than to assume he was nothing. Just another fleck of high school. Eventually he would fade and become old and gray, just like the rest of them.

"Don't say that Nya-chan! You could end up being the one!" Ume giggled. The girl flicked her purple hair behind her shoulders and sat on Nyako's desk.

"You have got to be crazy Ume." Nyako closed her eyes and then opened them when she felt a cold finger touch her nose.

"Maybe you are. Love is random Nya-chan. Don't think you can escape it!" Ume winked. Nyako looked at the girl and smiled. Maybe she would be lucky; but she hoped that it would never be with Shuichi Minamino.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ END FLASH BACK ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nyako felt the pain sear the hole wider in her chest.

Ume had died several days later; suicide they said.

Nyako's eyes flashed open and she clinched her chest tightly, feeling a bead of sweat drop from her forehead. Kurama shot forward and looked at the girl, trying to see if she was okay.

"Nyako! Are you okay?!" Kurama asked the girl. She turned towards him and he saw it again- a sense of fear he never had seen in a human's eyes before. It was the fear one would see only with death.

"Uh... Didn't I tell you to LEAVE?" Nyako demanded; pulling her hand away from her chest and resting her sore back against the wall. She tried not to make a noise as her lashes pressed against the uncomfortable concrete. Kurama watched her sit there, watched her breathe, and watched her fight herself with something.

"My friends really did enjoy your company…" Kurama told her, keeping the air open for discussion about her quick disappearance. Nyako opened her eyes and gently rested her head against the wall, staring at Kurama softly.

"Lately, I haven't been who I am. And maybe, there is no way to change it…" Nyako said quietly, not trying to make a point or ask a question. She didn't know what to expect of the boy. If Ume was right, she was unlucky enough to be forced into Shuichi, or rather, Kurama's life. Her stomach growled and she felt discussed that at a time of personal reflection- all she wanted was food.

"Would you like to get lunch?" Kurama smiled. Nyako nodded and let Kurama help her up. Lately, her strength had been drained. She felt like she needed to take a nap every few hours to keep from passing out from exhaustion. The two walked down the hall and retrieved their lunches from the class rooms. Kurama enjoyed the challenge that Nyako still presented, but it made him wonder why she was so adamant about being left alone.

"Hmmm." Nyako mused to herself and Kurama found himself wishing that he was able to pry into her head and read what she was thinking.

{I know a certain youkai who would LOVE the challenge…} Youko laughed.

{Hiei would kill her…}

"How are you today? You seemed odd last night." Kurama asked Nyako as the two passed all of his fans in the hallway; their mouths hanging open and their darts ready to aim at Nyako's heart. He wished that they would leave her alone. Her body retaliated against her as she tried to sit back down on the roof. The skin stretched along her back, and when she finally made it to the ground; she felt one of the lashes open up and let a bit of blood drizzle down.

"I'm not myself. Just leave me alone, okay?" Nyako begged the boy to just give her five minutes alone so she could stop the bleeding, but he wouldn't leave. Her heart rate jumped when she leaned forward to grab her handkerchief to stop the bleeding. Immediately she stuck it on her back and let the sweat drip off her face.

"NYAKO! You're bleeding!?" Kurama asked, astonished when the girl pulled away her handkerchief to revel the white clothe tainted with blood. Nyako held her hand up in protest, but the boy was already at her back, looking at the blood run down.

"Don't…tell…." Nyako mumbled before she passed out. Kurama looked at the girl with fear. Her entire back was covered in lacerations that were bleeding and getting infected already from her trying to move.

"Botan!" Kurama called into the air. The ferrywoman appeared on her ore and looked at the bleeding girl.

"Give!" Botan told the boy. Kurama handed over Nyako to the blue haired girl and watched as they headed in the direction of Genkai's temple. Quickly, Kurama cleaned up Nyako's bloody handkerchief and her lunch.

{That is why she wanted to be left alone! She didn't want anyone to know!} Youko said.

{Well, I guess it is a good thing I was there…}

{Or potentially bad…really bad…} Youko mused.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ AT GENKAI'S ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nyako awoke to the silence around her. It was soft, and there wasn't anyone within 50 feet of her. Her eyes adjusted to the bright light that came directly in the window and on her face. She felt rested and at ease, like she did when her mother would crawl into bed to wake her up in the morning.

{Mom…}

But there wasn't any warm body next to her. There wasn't anyone where she was. Nyako looked around the room and guessed she must be in a temple of some sort, and upon remembering who she was last with- wondered if he had taken her to his friend's temple. Sure enough, her answer was on his way in.

"Nyako… are you awake now?" Kurama asked as he brought in some hot tea and some fresh bandages for her back. She looked at him and closed her eyes.

{What a mess you've gotten yourself into Nyako. What will happen to you now?} She thought to herself.

Kurama set the tea down on the bed side table and looked at the angry girl. She wasn't angry at him, but at something else. Something that was eating away at her and causing her so much pain.

"Honey…" Nyako whispered. Kurama looked at her, surprised that she was talking to him. "Don't forget the honey." Nyako looked at the tea and tried to smile. It hurt to move, and Kurama nodded. He could see her trying to move slightly and he felt worried for her.

"You know eventually I'm going to ask you about your back… I'd prefer if you didn't fight me on it." Kurama asked as he helped Nyako roll onto her stomach so he could look at her back.

"Fine." Nyako said sharply. Kurama looked at her in shock. "Then don't ask." Nyako laid her head down on the pillow as the boy helped to clean the wounds off. She felt his hands gently work the bandages so that they were not hurting it even more. Nyako had to admit that he was very skilled; unlike what she had taught herself in order to stay alive.

"Did you have these last night? Is that why you had to go?" Kurama questioned as he sat on the edge of her bed and helped prop her up against the soft pillows. Nyako shook her head no. Gratiously she took the tea and pouted when Kurama didn't put any honey in it.

"Honey….please…" Nyako tried to be polite. Kurama smiled softly and looked at Nyako sternly.

"Do not leave. Promise me?" Kurama demanded. He stood half way in between the door and the bed where Nyako lay.

"Does it look like I'm honestly going to be going anywhere important in the next 3 minutes?" Nyako said sarcastically. Kurama nodded and headed towards the door, but turned around quickly.

"I know you. Promise me." Kurama caught on. Nyako actually laughed and nodded.

"Fine. I promise. Now bring the DAMN HONEY!" Nyako growled. Kurama left the room and after a while came back with some honey for the tea. He sat and watched the girl again.

{She looks healthier, and she is acting nicer…} Youko smiled.

{She knows I know…}

{True.}

"So, I suppose I will have to explain all this eventually?" Nyako mused out loud. Kurama nodded and followed her.

"It would help to know why you are covered in bruises and you have lacerations on your back." Kurama asked coldly. Nyako glared at the boy and then looked at her mug.

"I take it I'm not wearing the long socks anymore?" Nyako laughed. Kurama growled.

"Why would you hide something like that?! You were COVERED with bruises! Even your chest was!" Kurama shouted. Nyako looked at Kurama fearfully. Kurama sighed and shook his head.

"I had--"

"Kurama, I got Yukina…" A cheery and worried voice came from the other side of the door. Nyako relaxed when she heard another female's voice in the temple. She understood what Kurama had been trying to say.

"So, someone else knows?" Nyako said coldly, staring into the abyss that was her tea. Kurama nodded, trying to figure out why she was hiding all the pain.

"Explain it, please! I can't understand why you wouldn't say something! Why you wouldn't show what you were feeling!!" Kurama asked, agitated. Nyako looked up at the boy.

"Because he didn't know." Nyako whispered. Kurama tilted his head.

"Who?" He asked her. Kurama tried to imagine who wouldn't know that they were hitting a young girl. Even he would know. There would be nothing that could tear his attention away.

"The drunken-man who was once my father."

* * * * * * * * END * * * * * * * * *

mmmkay! Done with chapter 3!!! Wooot! Wow, this story is moving slowly. I really want to make it seem more realistic in time management. I mean, think about it… in these stories… everything HAS to happen so fast… otherwise it isn't really a good story sometimes…. I don't know… I'm torn. I want this to be only a couple chapters… but I forsee it being MUCH MUCH MUCH MORE.

Oh…. Just my luck!

Kurama: I like the name change ^_^

Hiei: I don't care.

Bunny: you should! Who knows how it affects you? *wink wink*

Hiei: *chokes* AKSDGJAWOEG

Kurama: *pouts* HEY! You promised the next ningen would be mine!

Hiei: *chokes again* WHAAAAAAAAT?!?!?

Bunny: *thinks* Welllll…. We will see. I'm not sure yet! It's only chapter 3!!

Thanks for all the support- as always I love when you read and review! Especially when there are a BUNCH OF REVIEWS!!!!! Does that compute? Leave some reviews people!

You know you would want me to do the same for your stories!

Lovels, Bunny!


	4. Chapter 4: Claws

_**Chapter 4: Claws**_

She kept her eyes buried deep in the bottomless cup of tea. Kurama watched her as she fought herself with the truth, or some portion of it.

"Your….father… did this?" Kurama asked, shocked and angry. Nyako nodded; not proud of her inability to keep herself out of trouble.

"When my mother died, my father lost it. He drowned out the pain with alcohol. That man isn't my father. The one who hugs me and asks me to make dinner… the one who smiles when I walk in the door from school… the one who takes me to the park…. That is my father. Not the drunk I come home to…" Nyako protested. Kurama listened carefully.

"You can't go back there, not if it is only going to be like this." Kurama added. Nyako placed the tea down on the side of the bed and looked at the red head.

"I'm going back to my home. I can take care of myself; keep your two cents to yourself." Nyako pushed the covers away and maneuvered herself so that she could just slide out of the bed. Kurama stood up as Nyako let her toes touch the ground. Her body was sore, the wounds needed to heal, but Nyako pressed herself to go home.

"Do you ever just shut up and listen to anyone?!" Kurama snapped. Nyako looked at him and then let go of the bed, letting her body stand on its own. Kurama covered his mouth as he saw Nyako steady herself.

"No. Not really…" Nyako closed her eyes and let her knees give out. Kurama caught her gracefully and held her close to him, her legs weak and the pain still running threw her body. Inwardly she mumbled that she was too weak in all senses. Kurama looked deeply into her magenta eyes, feeling all the pain and confusion running under her blind determination.

"You should." Kurama said softly. Nyako felt the boy's arms holding her close to him. He smelt like roses, and his body was warm against hers. She rested her head on his chest; feeling the gentle rise and fall of his breathing. Kurama lifted Nyako up and placed her back in the bed, careful to not rip any bandages. She lay there quietly, too much pain to argue about running back home.

"Don't you ever sleep?" Nyako asked the red head. He nodded and continued to watch her. She knew he wouldn't rest until she drifted into a deep sleep. Slowly she rested her eyes, the lids fluttering up and down until they became too heavy to heave open. Kurama smiled as he listened to her breathing steady and her pulse slow down. Finally she was in her more vulnerable state.

{Hiei} Kurama called out.

"What do you want fox?" The Jaganshi responded as he walked into the room. The girl asleep on the bed was the human that Kurama had brought forth earlier. She looked fragile, her body wrapped in bandages.

"Can you take a second? I need your help…" Kurama pointed to the ningen. Hiei snorted and went to turn away when he felt Kurama's hand on his sleeve. "Please Hiei, she's hurt…" The kitsune begged the Koorime. His eyes were full of a deep sadness that Hiei couldn't seem to understand. Perhaps it was because the Jaganshi hadn't ever known the abuse the ningen was taking.

"Hnn…I can smell the pain it's so thick…" Hiei complained as he undid his bandana to reveal his Jagan eye. It opened itself and looked over the world before settling on the glowing figure before him. "Fox, are you sure?" Hiei asked quietly.

"For her." Kurama spoke. Hiei nodded and pressed his hands onto the girl's cheeks, clasping her face tightly as his Jagan dove into her mind, taking over her thoughts.

_**She screamed. It was loud and piercing as Hiei stood in the corner. The woman lay on the floor, her eyes closed and her mouth rolled into a smile. The girl, Nyako, cried and shook the woman. It was no used, her heart had stopped beating. The Jagan watched as the mother's energy transferred into the girl's. Nyako's body was enveloped in a warm light, straight from the woman.**_

_**Nyako didn't cry at the funeral. It was private and morose, the amount of people who cried and suffered was plentiful. The Jagan could sense nothing coming from the girl. She was empty and she was blank. All her hopes had been destroyed.**_

_**The man let his rage take the best of him. She cleaned the booze off the floor and rubbed his back when he threw it all up. Nyako never told anyone about her father's problem. Every parent's day she made an excuse.**_

_**Ume. She was standing next to Hiei, looking at him and frowning. "She's all I've ever had…" Hiei watched as Ume's mother handed Nyako Ume's suicide letter, explaining why she had to die to prevent the pain from spreading. His head hurt. Hiei grabbed it, shaking himself violently to try and wake her.**_

_**The mother. The father. The best friend. All had deserted her. She was alone. Like him. Death. Violence. Nothing but emptiness. The pain was so much. He cried. The pain hurt. The mother. The father. The best friend. Hiei screamed and tried to pull back.**_

"_**Run away. Just like the rest of them…." She cried.**_

"OH GOD!" Kurama cried out as Hiei hit the floor. The Jaganshi opened his eyes and felt warm tears flow out of them. Kurama was stunned to see his partner crying. Fully crying in front of him.

"She's so alone… Her mom died in front of her, her heart just stopped beating. Her father drinks himself stupid and the ningen takes care of him, even when he beats her. Ume, the best friend… the other ningen killed herself. Fox, she's so alone…" Hiei sniffled and let Kurama help him up. Kurama remembered the day he went to Ume's funeral. He didn't know the girl, but he went because it was the proper thing to do. The girl was deathly pretty who stood next to Ume's parents. It must have been a younger version of Nyako.

"Wow. No wonder she pushes everyone away… Are you okay Hiei? You look torn up." Kurama gently asked the Koorime who looked like he might pass out. The two boys looked at the black haired girl who lay asleep and vulnerable.

"Hnn. I'm fine." Hiei lied. The girl's pain followed him around inside. It was too familiar with his own. But what stuck the most was the light that flowed from the mother's body to the girl's. It was so unnatural. Hiei was determined to figure it out.

"Alright. I am going to stay here with her then. You can go and sleep for a while." Kurama sat down next to Nyako's bed. The spunky girl looked peaceful as the kitsune sat beside her. Hiei hesitantly left the room, keeping the girl's pain with him.

{She looks really good when she's asleep} Kurama thought.

{She looks good always.} Youko smirked.

{That's a ningen thing.}

{No. She's not a ningen. Twenty minutes in the Makai says so!} Youko said.

{I'd rather not make a deal like that with you… Sneaky fox!}

{Only my nature…} Youko purred.

"Uhhh….owww…" Nyako panted. She opened her eyes and placed her hands on her back, trying to fix her bandages. Kurama helped her by undoing her bandages to redo them, only to find that her lashes were gone.

"What?!" Kurama spoke softly. Nyako looked at him with concern.

"What? What do you mean What?! Ugh… my back… it feels funny…" Nyako said to Kurama. The boy smiled and redid her bandages until they felt better.

"Sorry, I was just surprised at how fast your wounds were healing. That's all. You are alright. Sleep!" Kurama ordered the girl. He hoped that his surprised hadn't shown through all the way. For some reason, he had never considered her any threat or any kind of demon.

"Kurama…I'm…I'm sorry for being a jerk…," Nyako tried to apologize through the tingly sensation roaming on her back. "I just… I've lost a lot of people… and… well…."

"Ume. She was your best friend right? I remember the funeral, and I remember you. I'm sorry I never talked to you before. I'm sorry I didn't remember you…" Kurama looked at Nyako and apologized whole heartedly. Nyako's eyes watered.

{Ume-chan…. Here I am… without you… but… he remembered you.}

Nyako let the tears roll down her face. It was too late to try and stop them. Kurama ran his fingers over the girl's cheeks and wiped them away as quickly as he could. For some reason, he couldn't bear to see Nyako in that state.

"Don't cry. You are okay now." Kurama promised. He pulled Nyako close to him and let her cry it all out. She felt light in his arms, like she was small and more childlike to him. Nyako let the weight fall off her and ripple into some unknown pore of the world. The boy-wonder didn't say a word to her when she sobbed in his arms. Warmth and the feeling of him brushing her hair with his finger tips was enough to entice her.

"I'm…sorry…" Nyako tried to say. It was covered with the sound of her cries. Kurama shook it off and held the girl tight. She was warm against his chest and he could feel her cling tightly.

{At least she is safe…}

{For now…} Youko added.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ! ! ! ! END CHAPTER 4 ! ! ! ! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

finally! Woot!~

Bunny: happy holidays, happy new year, and good wishes to you all!

Kurama: wow… it has been SOOOO long!

Yusuke: talk about it! *yawns*

Bunny: *sighs* sorry that it has taken forever! I'll update more frequently now! I just wanted a little break for the holidays! Hope ya'll don't mind!

Keiko: Don't you have finals coming up? *glares*

Bunny: mayyyybeeee??? *scared*

Everyone: YES.

Bunny: *nods*

Keiko: *shakes fist* You best be careful not to write toooooo much!

Bunny: mmmkay… promise….

Everyone: good!

Mmkay guys! Here is your next chapter!! Gnight! I spent so long thinking about it! Let me know what you think!! You know how much it makes me smile to see more reads and reviews??! O.M.G.! it makes me SOOOOO happy! If you get bored with this- you can always check out all my others! They are good too…. Basically all I write about is YYH.

Thanks to those who review!

You know who you are!

I lovels you!

Lovels, bunnychan


	5. Chapter 5: Night Vision

_**Chapter 5: Night Vision**_

Nyako let her ears awaken first, searching the room for any visitors. Slowly she opened her eyes and looked around the room. It was pitch black, the deepest night she had ever seen.

{Seen?} She thought to herself.

"What's going on?" Nyako spoke into the darkness, hoping for an answer. She walked to the door and opened it without any trouble. Each knot in the wood of the floor could be seen as Nyako walked down the hall. It was eerily calm for her.

{Oh god, what is happening to me?!}

Nyako felt her body tingle and get warm. Her magenta eyes wandered around the temple in the middle of the night, looking for something. She felt a red aura streaming from the room next door to her. Her feet tip toed lightly, not making a sound; towards the red aura that seemed like colored gas to her. It was a glowing light surrounding a figure on the floor. Quickly Nyako opened the door and walked into the room. Her head was dizzy and she felt that at any moment she would just vanish into thin air.

"He…help…" She begged as she was engulfed in a poof of magenta smoke, and collapsed to the floor. The sleeping figure awoke and found Nyako on his floor.

"Nyako!"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ MORNING ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Kurama watched Nyako's body heave up and down as she slept. He found himself enthralled that she had some how wandered to his room and collapsed on his floor.

"Nyako. Wake up." Kurama instructed. Nyako's eyes flickered open and she twitched her nose. She looked at Kurama, who was kneeling over her.

"Kurama! You are huge! Oh my god! Did I shrink?!" Nyako panicked. She looked at her hands and found that she no longer had hands. "PAWS?!" Nyako sat up right away. Kurama laughed at her as she meowed to herself.

"Oi! Kurama, how's….oh…" Yusuke asked as he and Kuwabara came looking to see how the girl was doing. Kuwabara's eyes lit up as he saw the cute black and magenta kitty meowing at Kurama. Yusuke cracked up and was huddled over in the corner.

"KURAMA! You got a kitten! Good choice! Very manly!" Kuwabara tried to explain. Kurama shook his head and laughed.

"That's Nyako. She's a nekomatta, not a cat per-say. Just a cat demon apparently." Kurama spoke softly while smiling at Nyako, who hadn't stopped meowing at him.

"What's the difference?" Kuwabara asked honestly. Kurama pointed to Nyako's tail.

"She is two-tailed." He said. Nyako looked at the red head.

"What am I? KURAMA! Help me! Can't you understand me?!" Nyako screamed. All she heard was Kurama's loud voice and Kuwabara's annoying girly-tone. Quickly she jumped onto Kurama's lap and put her paws on his chest.

"What is it?" Kurama asked, scratching under Nyako's chin.

"HEY! Stop…. That…PPPPPRRRRRR…" Nyako purred lightly, brushing up against the boy's chest. Kuwabara looked jealous and happy.

"What is that ningen doing?" Hiei asked as he walked into the room, expecting Nyako to be killing the moron. Instead, he found Kurama and Kuwabara watching a nekomatta rub up against Kurama's chest as Yusuke laughed in the corner. "Do not tell me that is the ningen." Hiei spoke seriously.

"Fine, I won't tell you." Kurama laughed. He stopped petting Nyako and teased her a bit with a piece of string. She seemed to be adjusting well to her demon form.

"I'm leaving." Hiei added before he turned around.

"Are you sure? She is very well trained." Kurama smirked devilishly, enjoying Nyako's misfortune.

"I can still hear you!" Nyako meowed at the red head. She stopped and walked over to the boy in black, Hiei. He looked down at her and she jumped up on his jacket, sticking her claws in it and climbing up.

"Look! It's spider kitty!" Yusuke died of laughter. Kurama rolled his eyes and looked at Hiei; he looked as if a tarantula was climbing up his jacket.

"Fox! Get it off!" Hiei spoke unnerved.

"I am a GIRL! Stupid boy!" Nyako hissed. Hiei undid his jacket and let it gently hit the ground with Nyako still attached. Suddenly Nyako felt the warmth return to her body and the tingling stopped. She closed her eyes and a puff of magenta smoke covered her.

"Ahh… Nyako, you are back!" Kurama smiled. Nyako stepped out of the smoke and punched Kurama in the shoulder.

"Jerk. I'm leaving." Nyako brushed her black hair back and went to walk back where her clothes were until she felt Kurama pull her back.

"You cannot go back there. Not if I am going to have to see you like this." Kurama protested. Nyako looked up at him and sighed. For some reason he was getting to close to her, caring too much about her.

"Then do not look for me." Nyako pulled away from the boy and ran through the temple until she was out and running home. Her chest ached and she longed to forget the last 20 minutes of her life.

"Wait…" Nyako muttered to herself. She slowed down and thought to herself for a moment.

{How did Kurama know what I was…?} Nyako walked up the steps to the house and was greeted by her father on the front steps. He had a worried look on his face and a bottle of whiskey in his hand.

"Dad…" Nyako asked softly as she approached the man. He stood up and walked towards her.

"Where were you? I was so scared!" The man hugged his daughter tightly, letting the bottle fall behind her. Nyako felt her body lose blood as her father squeezed her tightly in his embrace.

"You… were?" She asked him, astonished that he even realized that she was gone.

"Yeah! I… I didn't know what to do! I woke up and I went to go ask about breakfast, but I realized you weren't in your room. Even Momo was upset! I haven't slept for two days! I am so sorry! I didn't mean to make you leave!" Her father tried not to cry. Nyako held her father tighter with amazement.

"You were like _this_ for two days straight?" Nyako asked curiously. Her father nodded and pulled her away from the embrace so he could see his daughter's face. Nyako smiled to herself, realizing that her father had been sober for two whole days.

"Let's go out for dinner tonight. To celebrate your return!" Her father laughed and picked her up. He dragged her inside to a torn up house with random clothes and dishes thrown all around the house. Nyako sighed and looked at her father.

"Dad…."

"Uhm… I thought maybe you were playing hide and seek. You used to do that a lot when you were a kid… your mother and I would spend forever trying to find you…." Her father's voice trailed off at mention of her mother. He eyed the fridge and felt Nyako grab his hand tightly.

"I remember… Mom really liked that restaurant down town, with all those fish…" She said softly. Her father looked at her and nodded, catching the hint. He ushered her to go change and waited. She walked into her room and found Momo sitting on the ledge of the window.

"Ohhh…. I'm sooooo sorry MOMO!" Nyako fell to her knees and hugged her cat. The cat looked at her and rolled its eyes, jumping off the ledge and wandering over to the closet. "Riiiight… dinner…" Nyako smiled genuinely and grabbed a nice shirt and a skirt. It would be the first time she and her father had been out in public since the funeral. Some how… she knew it wouldn't be the last.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ A Few Days Later ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nyako sat on the roof under her large umbrella, taking in the rain drops that were falling. She stared them down and watched as they threatened to touch her.

{I cannot believe I am scared of a little rain… }

One drop hit her shoes and she squished herself back towards the wall. A familiar feeling rolled up in her stomach and made her look to her left, where a flaming head of hair came around the corner and kneeled right by the umbrella. She tipped the umbrella and noticed the boy-wonder looking at her curiously.

"You disappeared for a few days." Kurama noted.

"Yeah. I Know. I was there." Nyako said coldly. Every thought of him conjured up the images of paws, tails, and scratching Kurama's chest. Her body shuddered and she hoped that was an aversion.

"You cannot pretend it didn't happen." He spoke. She glared and turned away.

"How did you even know what I was?" She half pouted, half glared. Kurama smiled and offered her his hand. Nyako used the wall to help her stand up. The water hit her hand and she pulled it back in quickly and looked at Kurama. His eyes were soft and happy that she was being kinder.

"Because we are closer than you think." Kurama hinted. Nyako decided she wouldn't press what he meant.

"That still doesn't mean I trust you or like you." Nyako stubbornly said, crossing her arms and turning away. Kurama held his hand palm side up in the rain and watched the drops fall on it. Nyako looked sideways and watched, trying not to be curious. Slowly the water built up on Kurama's palm. Carefully, he pushed it towards Nyako, trying to show her the water. Nyako turned to face him, and Kurama threw the water at her. Nyako hissed at him and then covered her mouth. Kurama smiled at her and watched as Nyako tried not to crack a smile. "You are going to make me later." She said softly as she walked back into the school.

~ ~ ~ ~ END Chapter 5 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Bunny: WOOTZERS! *claps*

Kurama: I have to say… it's moving quite slow….

Yusuke: *laughs* SHE'S A CAT!

Kuwabara: *lovey dovey face* I WUVVLES Kittens!!

Kurama: She is a nekomatta.

Bunny: Right. Please explain to those who do not know!

Kurama: rightio! *clears throat* a nekomatta is a cat demon of sorts. They look like Kilala from inuyasha *points to Kilala*

Kilala: *purrs*

Sango: HEY! MY NEKOMATTA! Get your own example!

Hiei: What is going on?! *confused* You aren't in our Anime! *growls*

Kagome: Sango! I found you! Uhh… who are these people?

Inuyasha: KAGOME! If you run off one more time! *looking from Kagome to yell at her for leaving him alone.*

Kagme: SIT! *Inuyasha slams into floor*

Inuyasha: DAMNIT!

Bunny: Uhhh… guys! You are in the wrong Anime! I was just borrowing Kilala to let everyone know… I didn't think it would be such a problem!

Sango: It wouldn't of, if that damned monk didn't tell me she had been KIDNAPPED! *death glare to Miroku*

Bunny: mmmkay… well, obviously Kilala is fine… you can go back now *smiles* this isn't a cross over… I will let you know if I need you! promise!

Inuyasha: Who do you think you are! *growls*

Hiei: She's the author baka! *death glare*

Hiei and Inuyasha: *yelling back and forth, glaring back and forth*

Bunny: apparently I should have asked before I borrowed. Woopsy! See ya in the next chapter! Read and review!

Lovels, Bunny


	6. Chapter 6: Cat Food

_**Chapter 6: Cat Food**_

Nyako walked out of the door that morning after giving her father a kiss good bye and wishing him good luck at work. It was his first time going to work in months.

{Besides, he is going to his first AA meeting today too!} She smiled inside.

"Good morning." A voice charmed. Nyako looked and noticed that she had walked right past Shuichi Minamino, boy wonder. She stopped and waited for him.

"What are you doing?" She growled at him, almost hissing. He smiled at her.

"Making sure you are okay. Seems your father is doing better." Kurama said happily.

{It would be a waste for her to get hurt again…}

{But we'd get to look after her longer!} Youko begged.

{Shut up!}

"What ever." She waved her hand and tried to forget about the horrible happenings that had plagued her life. It looked like her life was finally looking up.

"My friends would like me to invite you back. They miss your cute tails." Kurama teased. Nyako stopped in her tracks and looked at the boy.

"Stop joking around with me! Whatever happened, happened, and it won't be happening any time soon… as in… EVER AGAIN!" She spoke clearly. Kurama looked shocked. He hadn't imagined that she was going to be so angry about it.

"It isn't as bad as you think. You cannot ignore this. It could have bad consequences." Kurama warned her.

{Why won't he understand?! I just want a normal life! I deserve that! At LEAST!} She thought to herself.

"You can never be normal. It isn't who you are Nyako Sato. Ume would understand that." Kurama said as he walked ahead of her. Nyako fumed for a few seconds before she caught up to him and slapped him on the back.

"I'll be what ever the hell I want to be! And no one is going to tell me otherwise. Not even you!" She stood her ground. Kurama stopped and looked at her.

{She's doing that thing again…} Youko spoke.

{She's fascinating me.}

"You are glowing." Kurama smiled. Nyako blushed and turned around quickly. Kurama placed his hand on her shoulder and felt the silky touch of her black hair as it slide underneath his finger tips.

"I…uhm…I'm not glowing…" She tried to lie to him, but there was also no one who could make Youko Kurama change his mind.

"It isn't a bad thing Nyako. Come and see my friends again. We are all 'normal.'" Kurama asked nicely. Nyako turned to face the red head. His green eyes locked right onto her, and she could feel a hole in her chest open up. It was where her heart was, and her heart was in full beat.

"Fine. Just, leave me alone." She asked as kindly as she could, though she knew it came out harsh and cold. Kurama nodded.

"I will see you after school, at the gates. We can walk together." Kurama told the girl.

"Yeah. Okay."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ AFTER SCHOOL ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nyako waited outside the gate for the boy-wonder. Her back tingled and she slowly lifted her shirt at the side to see if it was okay. It had been tingling since Kurama had 'kidnapped' her and 'held her hostage.' She tried to ignore it the best that she could. The school day had been well over and Nyako felt like she was waiting for nothing.

{He obviously forgot. But why am I so DEPRESSED about it!?}

"I'm sorry I made you wait!" Kurama said as he walked up to her. Nyako smiled shyly and waited until Kurama nodded for them to leave.

"What kept you?" Nyako asked. Kurama shifted his book bag and looked at the girl.

"A teacher wanted an autograph, and to talk about micrometeorology. I know nothing about the subject… but apparently I'm an 'expert'." Kurama smiled. Nyako looked the other way and tried to keep from looking at him so much.

"That's it?" She said coldly.

{What does she mean by that?!} Youko growled.

{I have no idea. I don't understand woman!}

"How was your day Neko-chan?" Kurama teased. Nyako glared at him.

"Don't call me that. It's annoying. And I'm not agreeing to believe you!" She barked at him. Kurama nodded and the two of them walked up the temple's steps.

{Why is she always such a …. You know….} Youko sighed.

{She's been through a lot. Cut her some slack.}

{I would… but she isn't even trying!} Youko complained.

{Then I don't know what to tell you. Maybe you're flirtatious manner isn't good enough.}

{Is that a threat?} Youko growled.

{No. Relax. She will take her time.}

"You aren't talking." Nyako said as they reached the top of the steps.

"Neither are you." Kurama replied. Nyako turned the other way. Kurama sighed and continued walking towards the front door.

"You smell good today." Nyako said quietly. Kurama smirked and opened the temple doors to see Yusuke chasing Kuwabara over the table and into the kitchen.

"YUSUKE URAMESHI! Stop chasing Kuwabara!" Keiko yelled as she panted and followed the boys into the kitchen. Hiei opened the door to the kitchen and walked out, flour all over his face and an egg half cracked in his hair.

"If you don't do something fox, I will." Hiei walked away silently to go destroy some of nature's precious beings; trees.

{Honestly, Hiei should try to get a job for the paper killer companies.}

"Yusuke, Kuwabara!" Kurama yelled into the kitchen. Both boys walked out covered in flour and other random ingredients that they seemed to get a hold of magically.

"Oi! It's Neko-chan!" Yusuke teased. Kurama held his arm out to stop her from scratching Yusuke's face off.

"Oi! It's Egg-kun!" Nyako teased Yusuke, who had egg dripping down the side of his face. Kuwabara laughed and Yusuke punched him.

"OW!" Kuwabara groaned.

"Is Koenma here?" Kurama asked the guys, Yusuke thought about it and shrugged.

"If he is, he ain't any where I've gone." Yusuke said as he flicked Kuwabara on the forehead and ran again. Kuwabara- being as predictable as he was, followed.

"Who is this 'Koenma'?" Nyako asked suspiciously.

"He is the Prince of the Reikai." Kurama told her. Her face wrinkled in confusion and Kurama shook his head. "I will explain later, I promise."

"Kurama!" A voice called from behind. Kurama and Nyako turned around to find a toddler with a pacifier in his mouth.

"Koenma. This is Nyako." Kurama introduced Nyako to Koenma. Nyako looked at the toddler and shrugged.

{Think about yourself. Nothing is normal anymore; handshaking toddlers… honestly.}

"Nice to meet you, Nyako. Let's talk about your abilities." Koenma went straight to the point. Nyako glared at Kurama, who ushered her into a room with Koenma. Kurama stood outside of the door, waiting, debating on whether to eavesdrop or not.

# # # # # # # KOENMA AND NYAKO # # # # # # # #

"You are a youkai. A nekomatta. You understand that right?" Koenma asked the black haired girl. Her magenta eyes gripped him tightly and he remembered the last time he had seem a pair of those eyes.

"I don't believe you." She spot coldly. Her demeanor was much different from the last set of those magenta eyes that Koenma had run into. He shrugged and tried to find the right words that would at least connect her to the importance of being a youkai.

"Your mother was a nekkomatta. She married your father and they had you. You are half human, and half nekomatta. The last time I was telling someone that… It was your mother…" Koenma mused. Nyako looked at the toddler like he was sent from God.

"My…mother? You knew my mom??" Nyako asked, shocked. She wasn't aware how old the toddler was, and at this point, it wasn't important.

{Mom, you were like me?}

"Yes, your mother was lovely. She really just 'got' everything. There seemed no way of talking her out of things. You have her eyes." Koenma promised. Nyako settled into a comfortable zone of her own. Her mother had been lovely. She remembered the last time she had seen her mother alive and beautiful; right before she left for school her mother almost forgot her lunch and ran all the way to her school. Just for Nyako.

"Yeah, she was that way." Nyako replied softly. Koenma looked at the girl as her magenta eyes seemed colder than they should. He almost felt pity for the girl, but tried to feel more concern if anything.

"Nyako, your mother was a wonderful woman… but I promised to do this for her." Koenma spoke softly, trying to keep in time with the mood. Nyako looked up from her own despair. The room was soft and the edges seemed to blur together in an unreal sense. Everything around her was dim since she had set foot in the temple. For some reason, everything was toned down when she was with the stupid red-head.

"Do what?" Nyako eagerly asked. She just wanted to go home and wait for her father. The father who was finally back to her. The man who threw out all the alcohol in the fridge and promised to get better quickly. The father who struggled like she did with her mother's death. All she wanted was to go home and forget that she had ever transformed into a demented cat.

"Your mother asked me to make sure that you received the best training possible. I am also having the Rei Kai Tante follow you in shifts until you hit the surge of your power. Until you receive that last bit of your power, you are not fully able to defend yourself from any thing or any one who wants those powers." Koenma finished and cleared his throat, realizing how old fashioned it sounded. He didn't like to send his best team out to defend a half demon, but he had made a promise to an old friend; and Koenma didn't much like to break a promise to old friends.

"What the hell?" Nyako asked. She didn't understand what the toddler had just said. Koenma looked back into those magenta eyes and felt a part of his stomach rise and fall quickly. The eyes were just haunting in similarity.

"Yusuke, Kurama, Kuwabara, Hiei… the entire lot of them are going to be with you until you mature into your full form. Your mother asked us to watch over you." Koenma said slowly, hoping that it was making some sense to her. Nyako looked down and felt her heart race.

"No." She spoke quickly and quietly. Nyako looked back up at the toddler and stood. "No. Leave me alone." Koenma looked at her in shock. She was nothing like her mother; unsure of where she stood and unsure of what it all meant.

"But you don't have a choice!" Koenma argued. Nyako disregarded him as she opened the door.

"Leave me out of this. Stop talking about my mother." Nyako pushed Kurama out of the way as he stood near the door, trying his best not to eavesdrop. She looked cold as ice and dead set on what ever was on her mind. Koenma looked peeved and angry that Nyako wasn't listening to him.

"NYAKO!" Koenma barked after her. Nyako quickly slipped her shoes on as the toddler yelled after her.

{You wouldn't do that to me mother…}

"Nyako… are you alright?" Kurama asked the girl. Nyako turned to look at him as she opened the door and readied herself to leave.

"I hate you." She spat out coldly. Her eyes were just as frozen as her heart when she shut the temple doors behind her. Kurama felt his insides quake and shudder from the volume of her emotions.

{Arrogant son of …!!!} Youko thrashed.

{Stop it.}

{WHY?!!?!?!}

{Something's wrong…}

Kurama threw on his shoes and headed after the girl; his gut instinct telling him that something was going to happen, and she was going to need him.

~ ~ ~ ~ & & & & & & & & ~ ~ ~ ~

End o chapter 6!!! Wow!! We are really getting up there!

Kurama: WOW! I sound really important in this chapter!

Hiei: Hnn *rolls eyes* Don't get too full of yourself!

Bunny: *huggles Hiei* and don't be such a sore loser!

Kurama: YEAH! Just because I guessed the right number and won the girl!! *sticks out tongue*

Hiei: *snorts* It was rigged.

Bunny: Hiei, you know that wasn't true. *pets Hiei*

Hiei: *glares at Bunny* Was too.

Yusuke: I can't believe you treat your characters like this!

Bunny: I was tired of fighting with myself! *pouts*

Kurama: yeah! She did the right thing *huggles Bunny*

Bunny and Kurama: XP JEALOUS

Haha, alrighty! How about reading and reviewing and doing all those amazing things?!!? I know that I have been really slacking, but it was just because finals were around the corner and now that they are finally DONE- I can enjoy more time to work on my fics! So do not be shy! Drop me a line and let me know what you think! I'll be writing!

Lovels, Bunny


	7. Chapter 7: Purring

_**Chapter 7: Purring**_

She ran down the streets, passing all the parked cars and the people out enjoying the night life. Her head was filled with disgust at those people. The ones who took everything for granted. Nyako's head was spinning and she felt her body and mind disconnecting as she darted out in front of a car and quickly rolled out of the way and continued to run towards her house. All of her 'un-normalness' was her fault. She felt the burden of being a bad child, of losing her mother, or not being able to take care of her drunken father.

"It's my fault…" Nyako cried. The tears felt like a tiny ice cube falling down the side of her face. It was cold in the night air and she refused to wipe it away.

{I can't do this! I don't want to!}

She ran until she finally found herself in front of her house, panting and grasping the railing. The outside was dark, and it loomed in front of her. She looked hard, trying to see any signs of life. There was nothing there for her anymore. Nyako couldn't go back there like she ways- transforming into some Japanese legend. The ground looked welcoming as Nyako fell to it, letting her knees catch her. It was cold and cruel and she felt alone; the most alone she had felt since her mother died. There wasn't anything for her.

"Nyako! There you are!" A voice called from her left. Nyako let her eyes close and felt the force of gravity begin to drag her down. A soft pair of arms caught her and they cradled her while she felt the ends of her mind constrict until she was sobbing in ragged gasps. The arms lifted her up and brought her into the house. She didn't even know who it was.

* * * * * * INSIDE * * * * * * * * *

Nyako opened her eyes in the softly lit front room of her home. Blankets were pilled on top of her and the soft murmur of talking was coming from the kitchen. She craned her neck to see the kitchen light on and listened as the floor boards creaked.

"Who?" She mumbled; fighting against the knot built up in her throat. It was a twisted piece of regret that stuck in between her tonsils and didn't leave room for words.

"Oh… you are awake… good." The voice smiled at her as it turned the corner and presented itself.

"Who…Mom?" Nyako asked. The red hair was pulled back into a pony tail and the figure wore a pink apron. But it wasn't a women, let alone her mother; Kurama was wearing her apron.

"Are you feeling alright?" He asked her when she was able to fix her gaze on him. She nodded and threw back her covers and swung her legs around. "NO." Kurama pushed Nyako back onto her couch and back under the covers. She glared at him and let herself be coaxed back into her make-shift bed.

"Get out…" She mumbled as Kurama tucked the blankets around her. Kurama watched as the weak Nyako tried to fight him. He inwardly laughed at her feeble attempt to shoo him away.

"Just shut up. Stay still." Kurama warned as he got up. He felt a squishy object connect with the back of his head when he turned around towards the kitchen. Slowly he turned back and found that she had thrown her pillow at him.

"Jerk."

"Stubborn."

"Ass."

"Weak."

"Obnoxiously objective and fake!"

"CRUEL!"

"BACK OFF!"

"You are just TOO SCARED to see what you have!" Kurama yelled quietly at Nyako as he walked over towards her. She stood up off the couch and was yelling in his face.

"You know NOTHING!" She screamed at him. He grabbed her face and pulled it right towards his lips. They connected roughly, a heat-of-the-moment decision to drive away the loneliness. Her cheeks were soft and stained with tears as Kurama let his fingers run over them. Nyako quickly grabbed a hold of her stupid apron and practically shredded it off the boy wonder. Kurama pulled the girl closer to him so he could hold her and keep her safe.

{Stop. Stop loving me…} Nyako cried inside.

{ I can't stop caring…} Kurama said softly.

Slowly he pulled away from her and rested his nose on hers. Tears fell from her eyes as she let her fingers run over the boy's cheeks and lips. He was real and she was kissing him moments before.

"I warned you… stupid boy…" Nyako spoke. Kurama nodded and smiled at her. She softly brought her lips back towards his and wound her hands in his hair lightly, feeling the soft skin on the back of his neck every for moments. Kurama pulled back from the kiss and let Nyako breathe. She cried softly, and then finally the tears came with ragged gasps and heart wrenching sobs. He pulled her close and let them both fall to their knees on the floor. She grabbed his shirt and held on. Months of enduring the abuse, and all the time she tried to grieve over her mother and her best friend.

"You are okay now. I'm not going anywhere." Kurama promised her. She took in the soft smell of roses that always accompanied him when she was close. It was too hard to believe that he cared, too much to think he would stay. Kurama kissed her forehead and her hair. Anything to stop the pain from hurting.

{All she does is cry!} Youko complained.

{All she does is _hurt_..}

{Hmmph…}

Kurama lifted Nyako's chin up gently with his hand. Her magenta eyes were swollen from crying so much. The tears came from no where, and they wouldn't stop until she felt that she had finally cried out enough. Kurama bent towards her and kissed her cheeks, taking in the salty taste of her tears. He kissed her lips, her eyes, the tip of her nose, and her forehead. He just wanted to blur the pain away from her.

"I can't… can't stop…" She choked. Kurama stroked her hair softly, holding her again. Nyako wanted to feel close to someone for once; she wanted to know what it would possibly be like to belong with another human. And she realized once again that she was no longer just human.

"Shhh. You are fine. Stop beating yourself up. You didn't kill your mother, you didn't drive your father to drink, and you didn't drive Ume to kill herself. You didn't hurt anyone. Stop blaming yourself Neko-chan… Stop hurting yourself so you can see how easy it is to love you." Kurama whispered to her softly. Nyako tried to nod through her tears but found that she only cried more. Quietly she pressed her lips against Kurama's neck softly, trying to forgive herself by letting someone care.

"I-I-I don't know how…" She mumbled under her breath as she ran her delicate fingers over Kurama's eyes. He brought her hands to his chest and gripped them tightly.

"I will help you." Kurama promised her. She nodded and felt her mind swirl again. He laid her down on the ground and then softly picked her up and put her back on the couch. Nyako sighed inwardly and let her eyes close as the boy wonder kissed her softly again before she fell into the darkness of sleep.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The Next Day ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nyako woke up in her bed, Momo sleep on her chest, and a rose on her night stand. A smile broke out onto her face for the first time in a very long time. Carefully her toes hit the wood floor and she touched the rose with excitement.

{Perhaps it wasn't just a dream….} She giggled.

"Nya-chan! I'm off to work! I love you!" Her father called from the foyer. She smiled again and she felt the warmth in her chest grow. Another day that her father was sober was a good one.

"I love you too!" She called out as she heard the door close. The clock read hours past school, and Nyako rolled her eyes. "I can't believe I am missing school." She walked into the kitchen and found a head of red hair standing on her patio outside. "Kurama??"

"I figured you could use some company." He said happily as she opened the patio door. Nyako looked over the edge of the patio.

"How did you…??" She asked. Kurama chuckled.

"I told you we are more alike than you think." He smiled. Nyako blushed when she realized that she was in her pajamas in front of the boy wonder. It wasn't that it mattered to be in front of him- just that she didn't like people to see her in her teddy pajamas.

"Hold on." Nyako ran to her room and quickly threw on a pair of jeans and an old t-shirt. She walked out to find Kurama looking at a picture of her mother. He seemed drawn to it.

"You are identical." Kurama mused as he turned around. Nyako pulled her long dark hair into a pony-tail. She smiled softly at him.

"Yeah, I get that a lot." She nudged him softly in the rib cage. "Let's get out of here." She asked. Kurama nodded and opened the front door for her. Nyako grabbed her house keys and let Kurama close the door behind her. They walked towards the city, taking in the fresh breeze and the color changing in the leaves. Kurama looked over the girl and noticed a happier difference.

"You seem happier today, Neko-chan." Kurama soothed. Nyako glared at the red head but didn't say anything. She seemed content to just keep walking without any words. "Koenma was curious as to when you were going to give some thought about what he said." Kurama added, trying to calculate what would make her speak. He found it.

"Forget it. I don't want any part in it." She said angrily. Kurama sighed and stopped by a small park. The two of them sat on a bench, watching the little children play under the sun.

"You should really think about it. You aren't going to know what to do with yourself when you mature fully. You'll be lucky to remember your name. If you are with us, we can help you use your powers-" Kurama was cut off by Nyako's angry stare.

"I don't want any powers. I don't want to be a cat… or what I was…" Nyako scowled.

"A nekomatta. You should know the difference." Kurama added, watching Nyako as she bent forward to watch the little children. She let her elbows rest on her thighs and her arms hang off. They gently curved inward even at the awkward angle. Kurama marveled at the way Nyako glowed in the sunlight without even trying. She was always enchanting, even when she fought herself.

"Whatever. I don't care." She spoke, but her words didn't carry as much power as she had when they first met. Kurama could tell that he was melting into her, causing the rough stone wall to crumble in tiny sections; just enough for him to change her mind. He inwardly smirked at himself for being so good at what he did.

"You have two tails." Kurama said matter-of-fact. Nyako laughed and looked at him.

"And you have…?"

"Five... or maybe six at this point? I forget, time slips by so fast." He smiled slyly. Nyako looked confused until she put it all together. The light bulb went off above her head suddenly and Kurama laughed when she covered her mouth and pointed.

"Kitsune!" Nyako said, finally getting why Kurama kept saying he was so alike her.

"Yes. Youko Kurama, the Famous Makai Thief." Kurama laughed at Nyako's surprise. She watched as Kurama glowed in front of her. He seemed stronger, healthier than when she had last seen him.

"So you are a fox, and I am a demented cat… how is that anything alike?" She mused. Kurama pulled her closer to him and looked at her softly.

"We are alike because I used to know nothing but sadness and death. But one day a fire demon came to me and asked me to steal something precious with him. That started it all. It is possible to over come all of it. You just need," Kurama slipped his hand in with hers. "… someone strong." Nyako stared at the boy who was actually a fox. Her life was turned around again, and she felt like she was spinning from his touch.

"I'm not ready." She spoke quickly. Kurama shook his head and tilted her chin towards him, towards the sky and the sun.

"You are ready for anything when you are with the right people. Come back to the temple and let me re-introduce you to my friends. It will make sense to you." Kurama pleaded. Nyako looked worried, a small wrinkle on her forehead appeared and Kurama wanted to just kiss it.

"Fine. I'll go."

"Okay then, let's get going."

Alright, it was REALLY mushy. =]

But I like it that way!

Hiei: I think it sucked *pouts*

Yusuke: Jealous.

Kurama: Majorly.

Hiei: *growls* NO WAY!

Kuwabara: You need a girl friend Hiei.

Hiei: Back off you idiot! *Pulls out Katana*

Kuwabara: He threatened ME!! *runs to Yukina*

Yukina: Hiei? *innocent eyes*

Hiei: *whimpers* I was only kidding….

Bunny: *huggles Hiei* I still love you =]

Hiei: Hnn *snuggles*

Read and review… let me know if you didn't like it so mushy, but I thought it would be a new twist. I'm not that much of a REAL romantic writer… but I though I would give it a shot and see what the fanfic world thought of it. Normally I just write and let little twists catch the reader's attention. Not so much this time.

Almost done!

Lovels, Bunny-chan!


	8. Chapter 8: Paws

_**Chapter 8: Paws**_

She understood what he meant by "re-introduce" moments after the group started talking about the Dark Tournament. It was obvious who Kurama was talking about after a while, and it seemed hard to forget after she heard most of the stories.

"Are we boring you, Neko-chan?" Kurama asked Nyako softly as he placed his hand on her thigh under the table. Nyako's senses jumped as she felt the boy's hand rest gently but determinedly on her leg. She smiled and shook her head.

"You have my full attention." She mused. Kurama's eyes twinkled as he listened to Yusuke and Kuwabara go through the fights in great detail, talking about disappearing, and a masked fighter, and Genkai's death and rebirth. Her mind was else where.

"So how long are you two going to stare at each other, fox?" Yusuke laughed at the kitsune and the nekomatta. They were so obvious that it was boring.

"Shut up." Nyako glared at the detective. She had taken to calling them by their short names at this point. It seemed that maybe the talking toddler had been right- that she should stay with this for a while until she matured into her full form.

"Nice to see you Nyako." A voice came from behind Nyako. She turned around to see a woman with straggly pink hair and a fighter's outfit.

"Genkai!" Nyako said clearly. Genkai smiled as she looked over the young girl.

"You look like your mother. The exact same. Except I see you have a mouth on you." Genkai laughed. Nyako scrambled to her feet and hugged the old woman. Kurama wondered how the two knew each other.

"I didn't get it from just anyone!" Nyako smiled. It felt good to see Genkai after so long.

"I know you idiots are wondering how I know her." Genkai spoke harshly again. Nyako nodded.

"My mother was a student of Genkai's… she came to the funeral. But you never stopped over after that…" Nyako looked upset as she turned to look at her mother's master.

"I got my hands on these punks." Genkai motioned towards the boys.

"What did I say about calling me a PUNK, gramma!" Yusuke bellowed. Nyako and Genkai laughed him off and talked. Kurama smiled, happy to know that Nyako wasn't alone in the temple; besides him.

"I can't believe how old you are. And Koenma told me that you are already turning." Genkai spoke. Nyako nodded, but looked down at her feet, almost shamefully.

"I don't really understand it, and it really sucks." Nyako admitted in a hushed voice.

"Nekomattas change when they reach your age. Your mother came to me for help when she turned into a cat with two tails one day after she had gotten the "flu". She thought she was delirious, but it turned out that Koenma came to me the next day, looking for her. Your mother was from a long line of nekomattas, and she was happy to carry that tradition on." Genkai spoke softly. The boys had filed out of the room to go and practice for a while to get their minds off of their slow and tedious task of keeping Nyako company. She realized she didn't really make it easy on anyone.

"I don't want this though. I don't want to be a nekomatta. I just want to be normal. When mom died… Genkai… I felt so alone… Just thrown off a cliff and left for dead…" Nyako wiped away a tear that leaked through her defenses. Hiei peeked in the room from the kitchen, listening to the conversation the ningen was having with the old woman. He felt a familiar pain rise in his chest; like she had hit him right where it hurt the most.

"Your mother was strong, and she wanted you to be too." Genkai added. Nyako hugged the old woman and let the tears roll down her face. Hiei wanted to grasp on to the girl too. It was an old sense of relief to hear her talk; like she knew exactly what to say to make Hiei feel what had happened to him before.

"I'm not strong though. I'm weak, and the weak don't survive." Nyako spoke angrily to the master. Genkai wiped away the tears and brushed back the girl's midnight hair.

"You are strong because you are weak." Genkai said.

"Every moment my father looked at me, he wanted to drink. All he saw in me was my mother, and it drove him to pick up a bottle. He was scared of me; scared of what I would do to him." Nyako told Genkai the details that Hiei had already seen and felt while his Jagan peered into her mind. His chest rumbled with the pain and it choked him. The door seemed too closed and it was hard for him to hear her at times.

"I think you aren't looking at it right, Nya-chan. Your father wanted to take care of you and love you; he just found it hard because you looked so much like your mother." Genkai tried to tell the girl.

"It didn't help when Ume went and killed herself. She broke me into small pieces, taking the best parts with her. The note only told me that she had to stop the pain. But what pain!? There was only more pain when she was gone! I lost my mother, then my father, then my best friend! No one was there! Genkai, where did everyone go!?" Nyako asked the woman. Genkai shook her head.

"Life is a mysterious thing. I'm not sure why you were dealt the crappy end of the cards, but I know that you are capable of making it through; even though you wish you weren't. Because you feel so deeply and because you are so wounded; that makes you perfect to help others." Genkai spoke softly. Nyako turned her head and looked out the window. Hiei felt himself blow up in pain. The door creaked open a small bit and Nyako turned her head straight towards where Hiei was. She looked at the direction of his face but did not see him. He flitted off towards trees, where he could demolish them like everyone had tried to do to him.

"Hmmm, never mind." Nyako sighed, standing up. Genkai grabbed her hand and looked at the girl seriously.

"You are made for this. And you have someone very important backing you." Genkai motioned towards the door behind her, where Kurama's green eyes could be seen peeking into the room. Nyako walked over to the door quickly and opened it- revealing the head of red hair.

"Pervert." Nyako growled at the kitsune as she walked down the hall.

"It's called an eavesdropper." Kurama said harshly, angry at being called a pervert when he was being clean in actions.

{Not in the mind though!} Youko chided in.

Suddenly Kurama found himself pushed up against the wall, lips attacking his in a passionate embrace. His eyes adjusted quickly and found Nyako running her hands along his chest and pulling his face against hers. She finally let go.

"That's why you are a pervert... Your thoughts were too loud." Nyako remarked as she grabbed her shoes and walked out the front door.

"Daaaaammmmmnnnn!!!" Yusuke whistled as he stood behind the kitsune. Kurama was stunned that Nyako could read his thoughts. He hadn't felt a presence in his mind while he was listening to her talk.

"Careful with that one. She's contagious." Genkai spoke from the doors where Kurama had been eavesdropping. He nodded and then ran after her. She was infecting him as he breathed.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ AT NYAKO'S HOUSE ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nyako came home to an empty house, filled with nothing but memories. She set her keys on the table and rubbed her head. She hadn't meant to read Kurama's thoughts, but the slightest mention of him had sent her on a search to find him. Nyako was aware that he was eavesdropping; and one thing lead to another. Before she knew it, she was inside his mind, listening to Youko's desires and his wants. It was graphic, and she half enjoyed it before the half fear set in.

"I cannot believe I did that on my own." Nyako smirked. Her body wanted nothing more than to sleep. All of her activities had to be followed by a cat nap and then a treat. She stuck with tuna of all types. Nyako chuckled as she shared a small treat with Momo as the two lay in bed.

"Nyako…" A voice called from the front room. She assumed that it was Kurama, breaking and entering her house to see her. Instead, she found Hiei, the Jaganshi in her room. She wrinkled her brow before she sat down on her couch.

"What do you want?" Nyako asked the boy. He looked defensively at her.

{Back off.}

{Niiiiiice. At least I know I'm not welcome in your mind…}

{Hnnn.}

"You could at least be friendlier." Nyako warned. Hiei glared and then dropped his over protective stance in her house. "After all, you did break in to MY house…"

"You could use some of that in general." Hiei said. Nyako nodded and handed Hiei one of her snacks. Hiei shook his head.

"See… there you go. I offer you something and you rudely object to it." Nyako spoke. Hiei rolled his eyes and sat on the chair in the living room. "Why are you here?" Nyako crudely asked. She wasn't in the mood for games with the Tante.

"I came to watch you." Hiei said. He was annoyed with the ningen's games. He wanted to talk to her, on his own terms.

"Perv." Nyako said as she stood up and walked towards the kitchen.

"Wait." Hiei said quietly. Nyako turned around and saw something that she deemed unfamiliar: the Jaganshi looked shy and unsure of what he wanted to say. Nyako watched the boy fight with himself before he turned around.

"Don't go. Say it." Nyako found herself speaking before she knew the words. Hiei didn't move, he just stood like a statue in her front room. Nyako's heart raced as she waited for the boy to speak up.

"I understand what it means to be thrown away and left for dead. Better than the fox." Hiei said softly and then disappeared from her front room. Nyako's mouth was open slightly as she tried to process what the Jaganshi had said to her. She didn't know much about him, but from the sadness in his voice, it felt too close for comfort. Nyako sat on the couch and popped another piece of tuna into her mouth. She felt like taking a bath, getting clean of all the pain that plagued her. The more she knew about the Tante, the more she wished that she never knew anything at all.

{I'm sorry, I don't know what to do Ume. I wish you could give me some of your pep talks. You were always good at that…} Nyako mused to herself.

"Nya-chan, why do you look so lonely?" Her father asked her as he set his keys down on the dinning room table. Nyako looked up at him and leaped off the couch, jumping on him.

"I was sad because I was worried about you. I missed you dad. How are you today?" She hugged her father tightly and felt his heart beat pulse through his chest. Her ears picked up every sound these days along with her nose smelling everything possible; good or otherwise.

"Oh Nya-chan… you are so adorable, just like your mother." Her father hugged her tightly and kissed her forehead. "Are you eating tuna again?" He asked her curiously. She sheepishly nodded and blushed.

"I really like it. Want some?" She offered some of her tuna to her father. He squished his face and shook his head.

"No thanks sweetie. Hey, the group is having a family night… and uhm… I was wondering if maybe… you wanted… if you can of course!...come with me?" Her father looked at his feet, scared to be rejected by his own daughter.

{Not that I deserve her. After all she has done for me. She must think I'm a monster…}

"Sure. I would love to go with you." Nyako smiled a weak and feeble smile for her father. His face lit up like the Eiffle Tower on New Years. He pulled her close and swung her around the room, giving her a huge kiss on her forehead.

"I love you I love you I LOVE YOU!" He yelled happily. Nyako laughed and held on to her dad who for a few seconds was the happiest man in the world. Hearing his thoughts was harder than she ever imagined. She had always wondered what he was thinking when he grabbed a bottle, and she was thankful that she might never know what went through his mind. Because he was recovering and becoming stronger, his thoughts were becoming more rational, and also more dangerous. Some moments she could almost taste the need for alcohol it was so strong in his mind. The emotions were always so thick when she could read someone's thoughts.

"Alright dad, let me down!" She laughed. The man put her down and hummed all the way to the kitchen where he put away the rest of the tuna and made himself a sandwich and a glass of milk.

"The meeting starts at around 8, so we need to leave around 7:30. Is that okay with you?" He questioned. Nyako nodded and gathered herself back up.

"I just have to work on a few things from school. That's all." Nyako lied. She didn't want to think about the 'group' meeting tonight. It was her father's way of saying that Al-Anon was in town and wanted to talk with her.

"Mmmkay…" Her father looked at her all soft for a moment, catching her off guard. "You know, your mother would be so proud of you. She was so strong, and so are you. I'm so proud of you… and… if you ever want to talk about something; don't hesitate. I love you, Nyako." He spoke carefully but honestly, as if he had waited his entire life to just tell her those few sentences. Nyako's eyes watered and her throat choked up, but she nodded and smiled at her father.

{Who am I to deny him those small feelings? It isn't like I can just tell him how much he hurt me when he was drunk… Oh well… just a couple more secrets…}

Nyako walked to her room and sensed a certain someone sitting on her bed. She opened the door and found flaming red hair and daring emerald eyes looking through her. Her body felt weak and she wanted to walk back out to her father and explain that there was in fact a fox-boy sitting on her bed.

"Boy-wonder." She said roughly as Kurama looked at her excitedly. The emotion on his was thick, and lustful. Every bit of Youko was showing through him and it took her a few tries to get used to the kitsune's aura.

"Your father seems to be doing well Neko-chan." Kurama smiled. Nyako stood in front of her mirror, trying to avoid the obvious need for contact with him. In the mirror he was just as perfect, his features dazzling her. Nyako's chest tightened as she ran her fingers along the mirror, trying to touch his face.

_**I understand…Better than the fox…**_

The voice was burned into her brain as she looked at Kurama. Hiei had something hidden from her, something that felt more real than Kurama's sympathy. The kitsune stood and wrapped his arms around Nyako, spreading the warmth of his body into hers. She tried to smile, but could only hear Hiei's voice.

"You need to go. My father's in the other room and I'm leaving with him soon. Go." She unwrapped his arms from around her and disregarded him coldly. Kurama stepped back, feeling like he had been smacked in the face.

"Fine." He growled. The open window providing a quick way to exit as it had been a quick way to enter. Nyako sat on her bed, feeling the retreating warmth of Kurama's arms around her. She smelt of roses, thick and gentle.

"DAMNIT!" She cried out. Her body tensed as she heard her father coming down the hall. Quickly she thrust her fist into the wall and heard a sickening SNAP sound. She muffled her sudden cries and held her fist tightly.

"What is going … OH MY GOD! What happened?!" Her father panicked when he saw Nyako holding her wrist and crying; a giant dent in her bedroom wall. Nyako lay on the floor, crying; not because of her broken knuckles, but because she had coldly dismissed the only person who cared deeply for her. "We have to get you to a hospital!" Her father left the room and ran for the phone to call for an ambulance. Nyako stopped her tears and looked at the hole in her wall.

{Just another hole in my heart…}

That's it for chapter 8! Wow! Totally confusing right!?

I love it! All the sexual tension and all of the… everything!

I know that I pretty much promised some people that a certain red head would take the girl this time… but…. I'm going to try and confused everyone as much as possible! Haha! Don't ya just love me!?

Kurama: YOU SUCK! *growls*

Bunny: *huggles Nyako* HEY! She is MY creation! I can do what I want!

Hiei: *nods* She has a point! =]

Yusuke: You are only agreeing because she chose you this chapter!

Hiei: Shut it detective *glares* X[

Kurama: *cries* give her back! I LOVE HER! T.T

Bunny: *holds Nyako hostage* Maybe… =]

Read and review because you love me and because you REALLY love my fics. After this fic… I'm not really sure what I'm going to do. I might vacation for a while and work on some other stories. But you know how much I love writing fanfics… I may never stop! Lol.

Lovels, Bunny!


	9. Chapter 9: Cleanliness

_**Chapter 9: Cleanliness**_

Nyako sat in the hospital for hours before anyone would see her. It was always the same stupid wait just to get looked at. Her father missed his big 'group gathering' and Nyako felt more like the world's biggest bitch ever. After the doctor had seen her hand and listened to what her father had said, he sent her right to pediatrics. The nurses there were tending to young kids, way more whiney than her, but Nyako understood why they disliked her more; SHE had been the cause of bodily harm to herself. Her father stood out of the room and listened to the doctors talk about how maybe Nyako needed to 'see someone'. Her stomach tossed and turned and every time Nyako heard the sentence 'she has some issues', she felt like throwing up.

{What a mess you've gotten yourself into this time you stupid girl. Kurama deserves better than you, your father deserves better than you… everyone deserves better than you…} Nyako thought to herself.

"Nyako, let's go home." Her father's voice came from the doorway. She looked up towards him and then down at her hand, which had been wrapped and x-rayed a million times. It was only two broken knuckles, and the doctors said that she would heal fast because she was still a 'kid'. It didn't feel like that though, Nyako felt like she was older than the oldest person in the universe.

"I'm sorry dad, I ruined your night." Nyako sniffled. She wanted to curl up into a ball and be locked in a trunk forever. Her father looked at her and sighed. He quickly pulled her into a hug and walked with her towards the bus stop. Her heart raced as she felt the fresh air wash over her. It seemed like ages since she had really enjoyed the outdoors.

"Why didn't you tell me that I made you angry? I can't believe you would lie to me about that. I realize that we've… grown apart… but I really was surprised. It isn't like you to have angry out bursts like that." Nyako turned to her father and looked at him shocked.

{He blames himself?!}

"Dad, it wasn't you! I swear! I'm happy that you are doing so much better! I just… I hurt someone really badly and I didn't mean too… it's so confusing…" Nyako sighed. Her father pulled her close again and brushed his daughter's hair back with his weak hands.

"Was it a boy, Nyako?" Her father asked. Nyako nodded her head and met his soft gaze. He smiled at her and looked straight into her magenta eyes.

"He was hurt by what I said. I…uh ….pushed him away." Nyako confessed. Her father listened as the two go on the bus to head home. Her knuckles pulsed as she thought about Kurama's face when she pushed him away from her.

"If he really cares, which, if it involves your good heart, I am sure he does; then he will understand. You need to learn that when someone loves you, or even just cares about you, they will forgive the harshest things. Look at me; I'm the world's most horrible father, and here you are, giving me the second chance I don't think I deserve." Her father spoke lightly, reminding her that she was a good person and that she needed to confront her problems. Nyako nodded and smiled softly for her father, to show him that she felt better.

"You aren't that bad…" she laughed and hugged him as tight as she good with all the bandages. "Besides… I love you. That requires that I give you all the chances in the world." Nyako felt the bus lurch under her as it stopped a couple blocks from her house. Her father ushered her off and towards the house.

"Good. I am thankful to hear that." Her father added as they finally made their way towards home. Nyako inwardly sighed and hoped that Kurama was as forgiving as she had been for her father. It was so hard to read the kitsune that she didn't know if she was playing on an even field with him.

{I hope he'll listen, even if he doesn't forgive me….}

& & & & & AT SCHOOL THE NEXT MORNING & & & & &

"NYAKO!" A voice yelled from the doorway as Nyako opened her sleepy eyes. A figure rushed up to her and grabbed her wrist to assess the damage done to it. When Nyako's eyes were adjusted enough, she could see Kurama's flaming red hair in her face. Quickly she took in the aroma of roses that followed him.

"Kurama?" Nyako asked sleepily. The boy launched himself at her and hugged her tightly, confusing everyone in the classroom. She opened her eyes frantically searching the classroom. All eyes were on them. Quickly she stood up and dragged the kitsune all the way to the roof. He clung to her like she might die away at any moment.

{Does that mean I'm forgiven?}

"What do you MEAN?!" Kurama asked her. Nyako panted as she reached the roof and pulled the boy wonder to the side where no one was.

"Aren't you angry at me? For last night?" Nyako pointed out. Kurama's eyes steadied and he looked at her face. She was flushed from running, but she was still glowing in the sunshine. Her body shivered from the autumn air and Kurama drew her close to him.

"I didn't know you were struggling with your father still. I'm sorry. I know that sometimes I let Youko get the best of me… but you didn't need to break your knuckles! The moment Hiei told me what happened, I went to see you, but you weren't home. I figured I would see you today, that maybe you still wanted some space." Kurama pulled her hand close to him and looked at all the bandages. Carefully he kissed it and held it to his cheek. Nyako couldn't find the words to express what she was saying.

"How did Hiei know?" She asked the boy. Kurama looked at her confused.

"He made sure you got home okay, and when I left in a hurry, he figured something was wrong and that I went for help… He was watching over you…" Kurama explained. Nyako blushed slightly at the thought of the Jaganshi watching over her.

"Oh… ohkay." She mumbled, snuggling up to Kurama on the roof top. It felt good to be in his arms again, but odd to be in anyone's arms.

"That is what you are mad about right? I didn't do anything did I?" Kurama asked Nyako seriously. She laughed and kissed him lightly.

"No. YOU are fine. It's just… me…" She said. Nyako pulled away slowly, so as not to offend Kurama. The boy looked at her sadly, realizing that she was still beating herself up over lots of things, things that he didn't fully understand.

"Come to the temple tonight. Everyone will be there." Kurama added quickly, knowing how much she liked Genkai. Nyako gave him a pained look and held her wrist up.

"I don't feel like looking stupid." She told the fox. Kurama kissed her forehead and held her good hand.

"I never really got around to telling you that Yukina can heal…. So if we ask nicely, I'm sure Yukina wouldn't mind healing you before you get pumbled by questions. Does that sound good?" Kurama asked. Nyako smiled and nodded.

"Can you please not stumble into my classroom shouting my name next time?" She begged Kurama. Nyako didn't want questions that she couldn't handle. There had already been rumors spreading, and even though they were true, she didn't want to answer to them.

"There better not be a next time." Kurama warned her. Nyako nodded and let the boy lead her down stairs. She needed to talk to Hiei before all else… he had something he wasn't saying to her and she needed to hear it.

"No, I'm sure there won't be…"

# # # # # # # # # # THE TEMPLE # # # # # # # # # #

Yukina finished healing Nyako's hand, even though Nyako could feel it healing on its own. Kurama and Nyako thanked Yukina, who needed to sit down for a while after. The gang had all gathered around the dinning table except for Hiei, who was no where to be seen. Nyako felt a sense of disappointment at the lack of Hiei's presence, but she tried to make the most of the night. Yusuke bravely retold his version of the Four Saint Beasts, leaving out all the details of how Kurama, Hiei, AND Kuwabara had helped. Kuwabara and Kurama threw their cups at him and laughed when Keiko punched him in the shoulder for the Eighteenth time that night.

"So how are you doing? No more catty-transformations?" Yusuke asked Nyako. She shook her head and pretended to paw the air.

"Meow! Meow!" She smiled. Kurama petted her head and Kuwabara 'ooooo-ed' at the cute meows Nyako was making. Those three were always easy to entertain.

{Seems like you are having fun.} A voice popped into her head.

{Is that you?} Nyako asked eagerly.

{Hnn.} Was the only reply.

{Where?} She asked quickly.

{Outside in the back.}

"I need to call my dad. I forgot." Nyako stood up suddenly and headed for the back door. Kurama caught her by the sleeve and looked at her seriously and worriedly.

"Just come back, okay?" He asked her. Nyako smiled and nodded to appease him, then let go of her. Quickly Nyako ran towards the back door when she was in the kitchen. The door was unlocked and she figured that the Jaganshi had planned this ahead of time. The night air was chilly and it greeted her with its unfriendly breeze. She looked for the short boy but didn't see him.

"Where are you?" She spat angrily and quietly into the night. Nyako walked towards the beginning of the forest and found a set of red eyes glaring at her. She felt her cat instincts take over as she crouched down and pounced up to the tree branches one at a time, until she was next to the Jaganshi. He smirked at her, keeping her mind focused on him.

"Hnn. You found me." He replied icily. Nyako growled at him and walked forward, her cat balance perfect for now. Hiei didn't move anywhere, he just kept his focus on the nekomatta, drawing her closer to him. Finally she reached him and sat down next to him.

"Tell me." She demanded. He stared at her for a long time before he decided he was going to say anything at all.

"Why should I?" Hiei asked. Nyako snorted and laughed at him, making his veins course with anger.

"Because I just left Kurama in there and climbed a fucking tree for you. You owe me." She said. Hiei inwardly chuckled at her, causing her magenta eyes to harden as she heard his laughter in her head. "I can go back inside you know…" She threatened. He glared at her, trying to pin her down with his mind.

"Hnn. I don't care." He said. She laughed at him this time.

"Yes you do." Nyako started to move away, but saw that the Jaganshi had jumped in front of her. He was trying to keep her in the tree. She didn't know why, but it was a battle she assumed she was going to lose.

"Hnn." Hiei said smugly. Nyako breathed in and out, controlling herself to not try and strangle the boy. She felt her patience wearing out. After all, he was the one who came to her. And she was nice enough to listen.

"You might as wel-"

"I was thrown off a cliff as a baby, my mother committed suicide, and my father never existed in my life. Thieves raised me, but I became too strong for them to handle, so then they cast me out too. No mother. No father. No friend. No one wanted me. No one wanted you either." He spoke matter-of-factly. Nyako felt the pain in her chest sear up to her neck, choking her. She wasn't sure why she felt like he was berating her and caring for her at the same time.

"What do you want from me? An apology?" She asked defensively. Hiei shook his head. He wasn't really sure what he wanted from her. Just someone to listen. For the first time he wanted to talk and have someone listen.

"No." Hiei said with a softer edge. Nyako watched as the boy internalized what ever nervousness he had in talking to her.

"Well I am." She said. Hiei watched as Nyako looked over the branches till she could see the temple straight ahead.

"Are what?" Hiei replied.

"Sorry. If it was anything like what happened to me… then I'm sorry." She repeated. Hiei saw how vulnerable she was at the moment, floating in her own moment of despair. He wanted to reach out and touch her, to pull her close like Kurama had done, like how the old woman had. Nyako looked fragile when she talked about the pain. Hiei could even smell her pain again. It was thick and it almost cut off his own air supply.

"Hnn. Me too." Hiei said, trying to be stronger for her. Nyako looked at him and smiled. She gazed below and saw that she wasn't as high up as she thought she was.

"It feels more real speaking with you. Kurama's sympathy doesn't feel enough." She admitted for the first time. It wasn't that she didn't care deeply for Kurama, it was that she felt honesty and a real sense of understanding about her pain from Hiei.

"Hnn." Hiei replied.

"You could stop being a jerk about it though." Nyako glared at the Jaganshi. Some how she didn't see him as a boy any more. The rejection and the abuse changed him from a boy into a some-what adult. There weren't any lies with Hiei about what went down in the most personal of times.

"Nyako?! Where are you!?" Kurama's voice came from the temple steps. Nyako picked up his voice long before the words left his mouth. She jumped from the top of the branch all the way down to the ground, brushing off the imaginary dust she seemed to think she had.

"Over here!" She called to the kitsune. Hiei watched her as she rushed towards him, jumping in his arms and letting him usher her inside. His insides felt unpleasant and he wished that she had stayed with him instead of gone and catered to Kurama's needs.

{Stupid self, she's Kurama's catch.} Hiei thought privately, blocking any pesky minds that might pry into his.

"Hnn. Doesn't stop me from wanting." Hiei reminded himself before he dropped down to the ground and ran for a portal to the Makai.

End of chapter 9!!! Woot! I can't believe how fast I am typing this. It seems nice and easy these days. The words just flow from my fingers! Woot!

Bunny: *huggles Kurama* I know you have been grumpy lately…

Kurama: *looks at Nyako longingly* I want this one!

Bunny: *slaps Kurama's hand* We are not selfish kitsunes!

Kurama: *pouts* Yeah I know! But Hiei!!

Bunny: *scowls* 'But Hiei' nothing! I know he has been the star for a while…

Kurama: YAH! *angry* :x

Bunny: *sighs* I know I know… *huggles Kurama again* be patient!

Kurama: *nodds* I'm a good kitsune! *fox ears pop up*

Bunny: AWWWW!!!

Well, I was actually worried I might have to change the rating on the fic because it seemed to be taking me else where, but I think I got it all straightened out. Does sexual themes fall about the PG 13 mark?? Hmmmm…. I can't really remember now that I think about it. Don't freak, I'm not going to be mentioning all kinds of graphic material… I was just wondering…. For later use maybe?? *laughs* okay… now that I've confused you enough: I want to thank….

EVERYONE!

Thank you so much for your reviews! You totally rock my world and seeing your reviews makes me smile and giggle and write right away so I can see more! Haha. I'm silly that way! Do check out some of my other fics… I try not to be the "same" fic writer who only rights about the helpless girls who need saving, or those hard ass girls who break everyone's heart! All my characters have weaknesses and strengths… just like my friends and me. If you ever want to just drop me a character for whenever… e-mail me. I keep them in stock. Promise =]

Lovels for the fans, Bunny-chan


	10. Chapter 10: DeClawed

_**Chapter 10:**_ De-CLAWED

Kurama held on to Nyako tightly as they sat outside the temple before she needed to go home. Her heart was racing and he could hear it in his sensitive ears. He had to admit that his own heart was racing just as fast if not faster. The smell of her shampoo crept into his nose and made him feel relaxed. It was a faint smell of lilac; softly caught in his mind.

"What are you thinking 'bout?" Nyako asked him. He pulled her closer to his chest as they both faced the night sky. She looked straight up at him and smiled when she found herself looking right into his green eyes. Kurama shrugged and let himself melt into her fiery magenta eyes.

"Nothing. Nothing at all. You?" He asked in return. She shook her head in response, letting the worries slip away.

"Nothing." She smiled. He felt warm inside when she smiled; like all the wrongs had been righted and the universe was some how going to be right. Nyako nuzzled Kurama's shoulder and smelt the spot where she left her scent.

{I cannot believe I'm marking you.} She inwardly laughed.

{I can…} Kurama chuckled.

"You silly fox…" Nyako muttered as she played with Kurama's fingers, rolling them through her own so she could keep their hands warm. The two sat there for a while until Nyako pulled herself away from the fox and decided that she needed to head home before her father worried. Kurama reluctantly let go, trying to keep her as long as possible.

"Are you sure you want to go home? You can always stay." Kurama asked politely, hinting that he wouldn't mind if Nyako stayed at the temple with him. Nyako shook her head and glared at the kitsune.

"Don't let your libido take over your brain, boy-wonder. I'll see you tomorrow." Nyako laughed as she walked down the stairs and crossed the street towards her house. Kurama smiled and blushed a bit from the directness of her words. He didn't think that way always… just when she was around.

{Calm down!} Kurama reprimanded Youko

{Can't help it!!!} Youko purred

{You're going to have to try!}

Kurama watched as Nyako was finally out of sight, but far from out of mind.

& & & & & & & & & & NYAKO & & & & & & & & & &

Nyako walked towards her room without waking her sleeping father who was already asleep on the couch. She chuckled when she noticed him drooling on his pillow like a little kid dreaming about candy. It was funny, and for another night, the house didn't smell of alcohol. Momo followed her and batted at her ankles as she opened her bedroom door and her night vision kicked in. She made her way over to her bed and flopped down on it. It was soft, and she let her body relax into it. Her body tingled from head to toe as she thought about the kitsune and his sensual personality. It was stemming directly from Youko, who seemed to have set his eyes on her. Nyako's face blushed a dark red, covered by the blackness of the room.

"What has gotten into me?" She wondered out loud. Momo jumped onto the bed and nudged her legs, sending prickles down Nyako's spin. She turned over and looked at the cat, her green eyes wide in the night. A small amount of light escaped the window and fell on her mirror. She crawled over the edge of her blankets and pulled them back. Carefully she pulled off her socks and put on a big t-shirt before she crawled under them. Nyako felt herself curl up on her side under the blankets. Momo curled up on Nyako's pillow, purring the entire night. Quickly she let herself fall into a deep sleep.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ HER DREAM ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

_She was standing with her mother and Ume-chan. They were smiling at her and she knew that she was dead. Her body floated to them and she felt their warm embraces as they hugged her tightly._

"_Mom, Ume… It's been so long!" Both of them smiled sadly at her and nodded._

"_Go back, Nya-chan. Go back." Ume urged her. Nyako looked at her best friend like she was back from the grave._

"_No! I'm finally with you! I can't go back!" Nyako said loudly, almost screaming into the void of death. Her mother placed her hand on Nyako's shoulder and looked into her eyes gently. Nyako had never seen burning magenta eyes turn soft and smoldering with love and admiration._

"_Go home to your father. He needs you." Her mother brushed Nyako's hair back behind her ears and kissed her forehead. Nyako's eyes watered as Ume and her mother walked away from her. Nyako ran towards them, tears falling down her face._

_Nyako couldn't catch her mother and Ume. They were too fast, they were too far, and she was too slow. Nyako dropped to her knees and buried her face in her hands. She cried desperately for her mom to come back. To just spend a few more minutes together._

"_Nyako…"_

"NYAKO!"

"**NYAKO!"** A voice screamed in Nyako's head. Nyako's body yelled at her, telling her that she was as close to broken as she could get. The rage under her skin started to build and she could hear ambulances and fire trucks near by. Her eyes were heavy and the bed below her was cold, as cold as cement.

{Cement.} Nyako thought to herself, realizing she was outside. A hand grabbed hers as she was lifted onto a set of warm linens. She tried to tell herself that she was fine, that she was having a realistic dream back at home, but she knew she wasn't. She was outside, her body was screaming at her, and she had just seen her dead mother and best friend.

{NYAKO! WAKE UP!} Kurama's voice screamed in her head.

{Go away…} She put up her walls again, keeping them strong so no one could cross. All she wanted was to go back to seeing her mother again. Her sweet smile and her gentle eyes filled Nyako with a sense of happiness that she hadn't felt in a while.

"Nyako! OH god! I am so sorry Nyako! Oh god! Please, Natsumi, don't take her with you! Please! She's all I have left! Nyako!" Her father panicked next to her. Nyako could feel the sadness in his tone. He honestly wanted her to live. The mention of her mother's name sent prickles down her spine.

"Hurry, she's bleeding really badly." Another voice called. Nyako didn't know who it was, but she assumed it was the voice of a nurse. The voices started to get fuzzy, and Nyako's breathing slowed. Her chest was heavy as they lifted her onto another bed. She was going to die and all she could think was,

Finally.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ KURAMA ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He sat by her bed and watched the breathing machine pump life into her. Nyako's black hair was straight and perfect from Keiko and Botan's help. Kurama introduced himself to Nyako's father under less than good circumstances, but the man seemed to be happy that Nyako's friends were there for her. He even left the hospital for a while to head home to grab some of her own clothes.

"Hey…" Kurama heard Yusuke's softer voice, reserved for the worst of times. Kurama looked up at the detective and noticed that he looked rather healthy compared to everyone he had seen lately; though Kurama was positive that being in a hospital with sick people didn't leave a high bar for healthy looking.

"Hi. Come in." Kurama stood up and went of the his friend. The detective hugged him and motioned for Kurama to go back to sitting down. Kurama noticed that Kuwabara and Hiei had managed to show up too. All three of them looked nervous and angry.

"Any word on how she is?" Kuwabara asked the kitsune. Kurama sighed and ran his cold hands through his unwashed hair.

"The doctors said she is in a coma, and… they just don't know much else." Kurama finished. He hadn't been totally honest with them, but then again, it wasn't all their business. Kuwabara nodded and Hiei looked completely uncomfortable to see Nyako with a set of tubes hooked up to her.

"What happened, fox. Weren't you suppose to be watching her?" Hiei demanded. Kurama looked at the Jaganshi, surprised. He didn't know that Hiei had cared so much.

"Her dad said that she just started sleepwalking and walked right out into the middle of the road. The guy who hit her stopped and called 911." Kurama spoke softly. Yusuke sighed and rolled his eyes.

"At least he had the decency to call. Most drivers wouldn't." Yusuke clenched his fists and looked at the kitsune. It was killing him to see Kurama this way. "Why don't you go get some sleep at home? Your mom is worried about you." Yusuke mentioned. Kurama shook his head.

"I promised her father I would stay with her. You guys can leave if you are uncomfortable. I just want to stay by her side." Kurama confessed. Hiei walked out of the room and tried to calm himself down. Kuwabara nodded and left the room too, waiting for Yusuke to make some last attempt to get Kurama to leave the health-depriving hospital for a little while. When it failed, he too left the room.

{I wish you knew how many people are here for you. Even some girls from school came by with cards from the classes. They worry about you too.} Kurama thought to himself.

{She looks so… fragile…} Youko admitted.

{Yeah. Of course she does.}

"Please, hold on." Kurama begged Nyako.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NYAKO ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

{Where am I? Kurama? Dad?} Nyako asked herself. The place was pitch black and she was suspended in air. There was no room to close her in, and no matter what she did, there was no consequence. Nyako held tight to herself, trying to figure out what happened.

{What was the last thing I remember?} She asked herself. Images of her mom and Ume flashed before her. The blackness around her became a giant t.v. screen. Nyako remembered the horrible dream she had, and then nothing. It was black again.

{Why can't I remember what happened?} Nyako racked her brain but couldn't figure out what had happened. Hadn't she woken up yet? She didn't feel like she was asleep.

{Unless….I'm not awake yet. Then, am I still dreaming?} She asked herself. The reality was creeping upon Nyako faster and faster. She couldn't feel her heart beat anymore, but she knew she was alive. The pain came in tiny pings every once in a while; and although she couldn't tell time, she knew that it had to be night if she was still sleeping.

{I… I'm in a coma aren't I?! Oh god! I'm not dreaming, I'm in a coma!}

& & & & & & & & END CHP 10 & & & & & & & & &

Bunny: WOW! That took me forever! Woot! I am so happy it is done!

Kurama: I hate you .''' poor Nyako! *huggles Nyako*

Hiei: *growls*

Bunny: she's not dead at least! *threatens*

Hiei and Kurama: *glares*

Bunny: yeesh! Tough crowd! V.V''

Yusuke: Keiko brought flowers. She wanted me to mention that.

Bunny: Noted. I know Nyako would appreciate it.

Kurama: Don't talk about her in past tense! She isn't DEAD!

Bunny: Not yet. *winks*

Hiei and Kurama: *faints*

Bunny: I was only kidding…. .'''

Yusuke: They didn't know that.

Review and Read! You know I love when ya'll do that! Thank you so much to everyone who has been faithful and reading to see if I update anything, Sorry it has taken so long… I have a lot going on and most people know that sometimes writing does have to take a back seat until you can get your creative outlet or spark back. I just wanted to finish this before I head out to NC for my college tours there! WOOT!

LOVELS, chibibunny!


	11. Chapter 11: Nine Lives

_**Chapter 11: 9 Lives**_

Kurama watched as the doctor's walked in and out of the room and checked Nyako's stats. He could feel the oppressing sense of misery and death in the hospital, but he tried not to let it get to him. There wasn't any way to fix what had been done. It was all up to Nyako right now.

- - - - - - - - - - - FLASH BACK - - - - - - - - - -

"There is always the slightest chance that she could make a full recovery. There isn't really anything we can do about it; it is all up to the will power of the patient. I'm so sorry." The doctor said before he left the room, taking with him the only feelings of hope. Kurama looked at Nyako and sighed, she was so pale and fragile… there was an amazingly obvious chance she wouldn't make it.

- - - - - - - - - - END FLASHBACK - - - - - - - - - - -

Carefully Kurama brushed Nyako's hair behind her ear. She looked abnormal being hooked up to so many machines. One to keep her breathing. One to keep feeding her. One giant mess to keep her alive while she made the decision to live or die. Kurama felt like he couldn't take it anymore.

"Neko-chan, come back. I'm waiting for you." Kurama whispered as he stood up to kiss her forehead before he left the room for a cup of coffee. It didn't look like Nyako was going to open her eyes.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NYAKO ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nyako sat in the room and watched the t.v. screen. It replayed her life over and over again. She watched as her father beat her in his drunken rages. She watched as her mother collapsed and died in front of her. She re-read the suicide note Ume had written her. It was a soap opera. Her life was a fucking soap opera.

{This sucks.} Nyako thought to herself.

{We'll that's what you get.} A voice said back. Nyako felt herself shiver.

{Who are you?!} Nyako demanded. The voice didn't answer back. Nyako tapped her foot impatiently and sank back into her chair of darkness.

{I'm still here.} The voice replied. Nyako tried to ignore the rude voice.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ KURAMA ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Genkai stopped by for a visit in the afternoon, giving Kurama enough time to work on his homework and send it to the school. He had taken to falling asleep at his normal times again, and even his mother had commented on how he was practically living in the hospital. The nurses knew him by name and many of them 'ooo-ed' and 'awww-ed' when they knew why he was there.

"You really need to get out more." Genkai warned the kitsune. He was looked pent up, like a wounded fox in a small play pen. Kurama could feel himself getting sick of the hospital fast, but he needed to be there for Nyako when she woke up. She would. He promised himself that.

"I want to be here with her." Kurama replied. Genkai nodded. She looked over Nyako and sighed. The accident was so soon. Genkai wasn't sure what to do.

"There is going to be a time when she can no longer stay here. When that time comes, you need to figure out what you have to do." Genkai warned the boy. Kurama looked at her and nodded. He knew that soon she would no longer be able to stay in the hospital. It wasn't right for her.

"I know. I just hope it isn't any time soon." Kurama said.

"For her sake, I hope so too."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NYAKO ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nyako waited for what seemed like hours before the voice spoke again.

{You are so selfish.} The voice said.

{HOW!?!} Nyako argued.

{All you do is think about yourself. How your mother's death affected you, how Ume's suicide affected you, how your dad's drinking affected you…} The voice retailiated.

{And why is that selfish? It's my life. I have to look out for myself!} Nyako said.

{You haven't been over to Ume's house in a long time to see her parents. You never go and visit your mother's grave. And you barely give your father the time of day. Selfish.} The voice argued.

{Yeah. It's true. But I've been busy.} Nyako sighed. She was getting really fed up with this voice in her space.

{With Kurama.} The voice mocked.

{YES! WITH KURAMA!} Nyako yelled. {Why? Is THAT a problem too?!}

{Yup.} The voice said.

{WHY? What is your problem? Am I not allowed to have anything good in my life without being considered selfish for having it?} Nyako asked.

{You aren't being fair to him. All you care about is yourself. You put up walls and you never really let him know what is going on. You are selfish.} The voice said coldly. Nyako growled and shook with anger.

{You're a BITCH!} She yelled at the voice. The voice was too smug to reply.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ KURAMA ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Quick! Get some restraints!" A nurse called from Nyako's room. Kurama walked back from the vending machine and dropped his can of soda. Nurses and doctors flocked to the room to hold down Nyako. She was seizuring and shaking violently. Kurama ran to the room and frantically looked for Nyako's hand.

"Get him out of here!" A doctor called towards a nurse and Kurama. Kurama fought of the nurses and ran back to Nyako. The nurses tried to soothe him, but he wouldn't leave her. Her hands were shaking, but Kurama grabbed one and held on to it tight.

"Nyako! Wake up! You have to open your eyes! PLEASE!"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NYAKO ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"PLEASE!" Nyako's head turned sharply and she swore she heard Kurama's voice yell for her. She stood on her feet and she stopped feeling so angry. After she finally gave up searching for Kurama, she lie down on her back and sighed.

{This sucks. I want to see my mom.} Nyako complained.

{You are such a baby.} The voice teased. Nyako growled and rolled on to her stomach.

{I'm going to see her. And Ume-chan too! You can't stop me.} Nyako yelled at the voice. The voice didn't answer. Nyako waited for some reply, but there wasn't an answer. {You can at least yell at me or something. This no talking thing is painful. I don't want to be alone here.} Nyako said.

{Hurts worse when I leave you alone. You aren't alone. You have Kurama and your father. They are both with you. You just need to wake up and see them.} The voice pushed. Nyako shook her head.

{I don't want to go back. It is my chance to escape this weird life I have to live. Kurama will be better without me. Besides, my father is doing better. He doesn't need me causing trouble.} Nyako looked down at the bottomless floor. She tried to forget about all the warm feelings Kurama conjured up when he was near. There was a passion in herself that she didn't understand when it came to him.

{Selfish.}

{Fuck you, voice!} Nyako growled.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ KURAMA ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He watched as they took off the restraints and brushed her hair out of her face. Kurama squeezed her hand as she suddenly calmed down. The night was beginning and Kurama could feel himself getting sleepy.

"I have to go soon Nyako. I'll stay a little longer, but I will have to sleep at home tonight." Kurama told her. She didn't make a sound to try and make him stay; she didn't even try to kiss him good night. Kurama's eyes felt the pressure of tears, but he brushed them aside, trying to be strong for her.

"Shuichi, it is almost time to go; don't worry, we will take good care of Nyako for you." A nurse promised. Kurama nodded, kissed Nyako on the forehead and walked towards the doorway. She looked less fragile that day, and Kurama noticed how her nails were growing longer and longer each day.

{I love you. Come back to us.} Kurama thought to himself.

# # # # # # # # # END CHAPTER 11 # # # # # # # # #

Bunny: WOOT!

Yusuke: You tired yet? *yawns*

Bunny: *yawns* yeah, I am…. But I wanted to get two chapters in before I left for NC.

Keiko: Good job for pushing yourself! See what you can accomplish Yusuke?? SEE!! *pokes Yusuke*.

Yusuke: Yeah… I get it… Ready for bed Bunny-san? *throws blankets at Bunny*

Bunny: *nods* You got it.

Bunny and Yusuke: *fall asleep on the floor with Hiei, Kurama, and Kuwabara*

Keiko, Botan, and Yukina: We just don't get it. They are always tired!

Bunny: *yawns* we are so… active….

Hiei: *nods* hnnnnnnzzzzzzzzz ZZZZZ zzzzzz

Kurama: *pokes Hiei* sssshhhhhhh

Hiei: *stops snoring*

MMMKAY! Don't forget to review a bit and spread the word that I am amazing. =]

Ohhhkay, you don't have to spread the word, but you can if you would like!

Lovels, Bunny-chan!


	12. Chapter 12: Evolution

_**Chapter 12: Evolution**_

She lay there for what seemed like hours before she spoke into the darkness. Nyako wondered if the voice ever slept or if it was always watching her.

{Where am I?} She asked. The voice waited for a while before it responded.

{You are in YOU.} It said. Nyako chuckled. She was inside her own self and she felt so alone. It felt like days rolled on and on and she was no where close to seeing her mom and Ume. The urges to see them grew less and less frequent, and she sometimes found herself thinking of Kurama's soft green gaze, or worse, Hiei's intense red eyes.

{About that…} The voice began.

{OH NO YOU DON'T!} Nyako stepped in right away. {I know what my choice is. There has never been a doubt in my mind. You can just back off of that subject!} She demanded. The voice just laughed.

{I was going to tell you how much he cares about you. Nothing else. A little worried huh?} The voice teased. Nyako growled and wondered where the voice was watching her from. When she found out… she would attack.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ KURAMA ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

She had more color to her face and Kurama thanked Koenma for holding her papers. The kitsune had gone to see Koenma the day before to beg him to hold her papers for a little while more. The toddler nodded in agreement, hoping to keep the nekomatta alive for a while more.

{Damnit Nyako, WAKE UP!} Youko cursed. Kurama could feel the kitsune's anger and torment at watching the two-tailed cat demon slip away from him. He wanted to feel her soft skin against his again, especially her lips. There wasn't much he didn't want from her, and if she ever came back to him, the first thing Youko decided he would do was take her and make her his mate for life.

{Don't you think you should get permission first?! That's a little serious!} Kurama almost spat out his coffee in Nyako's hospital room. Youko flicked his tails and scoffed at the half ningen.

{I don't think you'd know anything about this. It's personal.} Youko added. Kurama's rage grew.

{HOW MUCH MORE PERSONAL CAN I BE YOU IDIOT!?} Kurama squeezed the coffee cup and watched as the plastic cracked and the hot coffee splashed all over his hand.

"Ow!" He cried out. The nurse from the station ran into the room and saw the red-head grasping his hand in pain. The hot coffee on the floor explained the rest.

"You should be more careful." The nurse said as she led Kurama out to the nurse's station for some bandages.

{Yeah, you should be careful Shuichi.} Youko teased. Kurama growled inwardly at the always too-forward kitsune.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NYAKO ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

{I miss Kurama.} Nyako spoke softly. The voice nodded somewhere. She could feel it agree with her, though she didn't know where it was agreeing from.

{You should go back then.} The voice said. Nyako shook her head. {Why not?}

{I don't want to be all weird and what not. It's not who I am.} Nyako protested. The more she talked about how "weird" she was… the more it seemed to feel normal.

{Well, I'm sure your mom didn't feel that way.} The voice said. Nyako nodded. She knew that her mother was more than happy to be able to help people. But the idea of being a two tailed cat scared her.

{But I'm not my mother.} Nyako added. The voice sighed.

{Yeah, she was waaaaaayyyy braver.} The voice smirked. Nyako growled.

{You are just pissing me off now! Although you always seem to do that…} Nyako plugged her ears and hummed. She wanted nothing to do with the voice. She just wanted to see Kurama. To apologize. {Yeah, that's all. Just to apologize to him…} She lied.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ KURAMA ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Kurama looked down at his hand and chuckled. It would be an interesting story to tell people at least.

"Shuichi-san! They are removing Nyako's feeding tube and her breathing tube! She's regained consciousness!" A nurse said out of breath as she bolted into the doctor's room where a doctor was taking a look at the burns on Kurama's hand. Quickly he ran back to the room to find the gang gathered around Nyako's bed. She wasn't so pale any more, and it looked like maybe she was going to make it.

"Kurama! They said she was conscious for a moment! That she was humming… or something like that!" Keiko rushed over to him and smiled. Kurama sighed happily and sat down. He noticed that Hiei looked oddly relieved and began to wonder what sort of feelings Hiei was having for Nyako.

"She is breathing on her own. That is so great, isn't Kazuma-kun?" Yukina asked. Kuwabara nodded and tried not to cry from the sappy moment he was enjoying with the Koorime.

"You guys can go home if you want. She probably won't wake up for a while. I'm just going to stay here." Kurama assured them. The tante looked at him as if he was crazy.

"Kurama, we aren't here because we like to hover. We are here because Genkai told us it's time." Yusuke added, his tone serious and almost morose. Kurama felt his chest tighten and his mouth dry. He knew what the detective meant.

"Aren't there other ways to go about doing this?" Kurama tried to plead with the detective. Yusuke shrugged and looked around the hospital. There weren't a lot of workers on staff that night; an easy escape.

"Time to go Nyako." Yusuke whispered. Kurama scooped the girl up in his arms and watched as the lights and security systems went out and the fire alarm turned on.

{Done.} Hiei thought as he pulled his katana out of the fire alarm slot. He hated doing the tedious work. He would rather be pushing all the ningens down the steep steps towards the ground. There wasn't any fire, but the chaos presented by the high pitched alarms intrigued him.

{Hurry up Nyako.} Kurama thought to himself as he carefully undid all her tubes and wires and placed bandages over her. Her body was warm and limp, but still the same light weight.

"Kurama! This way!" Yusuke called from a flight of stairs upwards. Kurama held on to Nyako tightly and raced towards the roof. The more steps Kurama hit, the more he wondered if he was doing the right thing. But there was only one way to find out.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NYAKO ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

{OWWW!!} Nyako screamed, her body shivering and burning at the same time. There was colors every where she went, and she couldn't bring herself to open her eyes one more time. The voice was trying to soothe her, but it wasn't working well.

{You need to get a hold of yourself!} The voice yelled. Nyako tossed and turned in the darkness that was growing redder. Her body was changing and she could feel the sick feeling in her stomach. Nyako's nails ached and her legs felt loose but strong. All the changes in her system were scaring her.

{MAKE it STOP!} Nyako cried. The voice tried to hold her, tried to keep her safe. There wasn't much the voice could do except hang on.

{You wanted to see him. You wanted to go back. You have to deal with the consequences!} The voice reminded. Nyako's eyes hardened and she cursed her own decisions.

{I take it back! I don't want to! Make it stop!} Nyako yelled at herself. Her body's pain dulled and Nyako could see her nails were sharpened to a point, and her back side had sprouted two menacing tails that swished back and forth. {NO! STOP THIS!} Nyako fell to her knees and tried to look away from her disgusting new features. Her long black hair fell over her twitching black cat ears. They felt full and proper on her head. Nyako's tears leaked out of her eyes and she didn't know what to do with herself. She was so ugly. She was a cat monster.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ KURAMA ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Kurama looked down at the bright glowing magenta light and noticed that Nyako's human features were changed. Her fuzzy cat ears twitched and her two tails swayed in the night wind. Carefully, Kurama wrapped his Rose Whip around the back edge of the hospital and lowered him and Nyako down onto another building and continued to escape until they were on solid ground and capable of getting to the temple without being seen.

{I knew that I would have to save you, but I had hoped that it wouldn't have been so soon. I am so sorry, but I am so glad you are coming back to us.} Kurama thought.

Nyako's features made Kurama's heart race. He just wanted to touch the sharp nails and watch as she would flinch from the small traces of blood that her nails would steal from him.

{She's mine.} Youko purred and looked over her body. He wanted every part of her cat counter part. The two were so different to him. Her weak and fragile state was too soft for his tastes; but her demon form was strong and dangerous.

"Good. You've got her." Genkai smiled as Kurama brought Nyako into the main room. The old woman had set up a small futon for Kurama to lay her on. It was only time that would change her now.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NYAKO ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

{DAMNIT! I don't want to be this ugly creature!} Nyako cried. She cut herself when she went to wrap her arms around herself; and all it did was heal quickly. Nyako shuddered when she thought about her mother in this form. How she must have loved it the first time.

{No. Not really. She was just as scared as you were. Anyone would be.} The voice retaliated. Nyako growled and then held her hand up to her mouth. She was tired of everyone telling her that it was okay to be scared and that they would be there with her. But she was alone wasn't she? Stuck in this crazy place.

{I want to go home. I want to be normal. I want my mom and Ume and Kurama and dad. I want Genkai and the rest of the tante. I want school. I want all the things I took for granted.!} Nyako wailed. The more she cried, the more her body tensed and the more she felt like she was acting like a spoiled brat.

{You are, aren't you? A spoiled brat?} The voice said. Nyako growled again; it was a deep thundering in her throat that carried.

{No! I'm not! I've worked my ass off to survive! I got up again and again! I'm not a spoiled brat!} Nyako said. The room started to break up and she could start to feel the real life pain beyond the border of the blackness.

{Then wake up stupid-cat!} The voice yelled back at her. It was a distant voice now, and she could finally see just who it was. The girl had long black hair and magenta eyes. She was standing in the shadows.

{Fine! But you better be there!} Nyako yelled at herself. Then she was gone.

- - - - - - - - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ CHAPTER 12 END _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - - - - - - - - - -

mmmkay! Wowo. That was soooooooo drawn out. My bad. Hope it makes sense now. I know some of you were thrilled, some of you weren't. that's okay. That is writing for you! well… I am almost done, in case you can't tell, this story is breaking and we are going to answer some long questions and get going with the good plot line!woot!

Nyako: I am soooooo happy to finally be waking up!

Kurama: *cries* I was sooooo worried! I even picked out funeral arrangements!

Nyako: WHAT!?

Hiei: *nods* Yeah, he was totally there.

Nyako: She wasn't going to really KILL me! *shocked*

Bunny: YEAH! *shocked*

Kurama: I wasn't sure. But at least now you will have a premade funeral!

Bunny and Nyako: there is no way to make that positive.

Hiei: He tried. *walks away*

Read and Review! Let me know what you think of this chapter!! Thanks for those people who CONSTANTLY review and give me their support or there hate. YES, even the hate fuels me to be a better writer. Lol. But I know you all love me, so there isn't a point to saying that. See ya'll soon!

Lovels, Bunny

Disclaimer: If I owned YYH, this woulda been a bawlin' movie by now =]


	13. Chapter 13: TwoTailed

_**Chapter 13: Two Tailed**_

Hiei watched the girl through out the night. He watched as Kurama came in every two hours to check on her, and he watched as Yukina came in to see what progress she was making.

{Stupid girl, so many people care about you. Wake up!} Hiei growled. The girl's new body was longer, was leaner, and it seemed it was more agile. Hiei continued to watch over her, concerned about her mental health.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NYAKO ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nyako felt the cold air around her physical body. It was breezy, and it felt like sharp needles through her skin. She wanted to open her eyes, but her eye lids felt too heavy so she gave up.

{Another few minutes won't kill me.} She thought. Her body recognized her new appendages and she swished her tails underneath the blankets.

"Nyako." The voice called. Nyako smiled at the familiar voice, happy that it had followed her. It was the only thing that felt real to her. "Open your eyes, Nyako." The voice called again. Nyako realized that it wasn't in her head anymore. The voice had followed her into the physical world now. Slowly Nyako opened her eyes and sat straight up. The voice was in the shadows again, with her long hair and her magenta eyes.

"Who..??" Nyako asked. The figure stepped forward and the moon light outside caught the voice's face. It was beautiful, and it was almost an exact mirror. "M-Mom?" Nyako stuttered.

"Hey neko-chan." Her mother said casually.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ HIEI ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hiei noticed that Nyako was sitting straight up in bed. He thought about going to sit with her, to check with her; but he noticed that she was having a conversation; with no one. Hiei jumped down from the tree to listen to the conversation.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NYAKO ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Her mother's appearance looked younger than what Nyako had last remembered her.

"But…But… YOU ARE DEAD!" Nyako cried. Her mother laughed and sat down on the futon with Nyako.

"Yeah, I guess I am." Her mother smiled. Nyako rushed towards her and hugged her tightly, but there was no solid figure to hug.

"Damnit!" Nyako sobbed. She pulled herself back up and looked at her saddened mother. "I just wanted to hug you again, to smell your perfume one more time. Damnit! Damnit!" Nyako's hands trembled as her tears fell onto the bedding.

"Hey… Relax. You are okay. I know this is hard. I'm only here for a while." Nyako's mother reminded her. Nyako looked up at her mother and memorized her features. The resemblance between her mother and her was startling. The only thing different between them was their eyes. Her mother's were soft, delicate almost. And Nyako's were rough, and almost stone.

"Why were you pushing me so hard?" Nyako asked. Her mother shrugged.

"The one before me did it to me. It is just how we all go. I am sure you will do it for someone when you are gone. Provided you give your father some grandbabies." Her mother teased her. Nyako smiled and nodded. Her mother seemed so real, like she would just get up and start making Nyako lunch at any moment.

"Why am I like this?" Nyako said. Her mother tilted her head and thought of an appropriate answer.

"Because we are supposed to be this. There isn't really an answer sweetie. You had a choice in this, and you chose to be this." Her mother reminded her.

"Only because I would have died other wise!!" Nyako exclaimed. Nyako's mother nodded.

"Yes, but it was your will to survive that allowed you to reach down and find yourself. It is really up to you right now to decide how you want to live with these gifts." Nyako's mom told her. Carefully, Nyako's mom raised her hand and went to brush away the hair in front of Nyako's face. Nyako only felt the cold air hit her forehead.

"I'm sorry mom. I'm so sorry that I've blamed you. I love you. I really do!" Nyako cried. She buried her face in her hands and she sobbed. All of the tears that she had hid from the world finally made their way out into the open. The cold air hit Nyako's body and even without looking up, she knew her mother was gone. There wasn't any more pain between them, just a sense of longing to see one another again. "I love you…" Nyako whispered.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ HIEI ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hiei noticed that Nyako didn't talk to herself for a while after she started to cry. Silently he jumped into the room and sat on her futon. Her black hair covered her face and her tails were motionless. It was the first time that Hiei thought about the girl as being a youkai. There had never really been a thought as to what she would look like in her new form. But she was beautiful.

"She's gone." Nyako said to the Koorime. Hiei nodded and out of instinct, pulled the nekomatta close to him. She cried silently and clung on to him. Nyako imagined her mother teasing her and laughing, and it hurt her more to cry.

"But you aren't." Hiei reminded the girl. Nyako nodded and she looked up at the Jaganshi. His eyes were softer than she remembered, and she wondered how bad she must look to cause pity in his eyes. Hiei brushed her hair away from her face in a quick motion. He was gentle with her because he didn't want to see her like this. A dangerous creature in such pain was an odd sight to Hiei, and he just wanted to see her smile or attack or do something he was more familiar with.

"Thank you, Hiei." Nyako spoke softly. The Jaganshi nodded and stood up, motioning for Nyako to follow him out into the temple. She felt the noise of the temple sink into her ears, and she knew that the tante was gathered in the dining room. Slowly she stood up too, opening the door and following Hiei.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ DINING ROOM ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Kurama was surprised to see Hiei enter the dining room, but his surprise was magnified when he saw who was following him. Nyako stood in the door way, awkward with her tails in her hand and her eyes glancing around the room. Kurama stood up quickly, startling everyone at the table.

"Uhmm… hi…" Nyako spoke quickly, not sure what to say to the group of expecting people. Yusuke laughed and slapped his knee.

"You have got to be kidding me!! Are you still the same girl?!" Yusuke smiled. Keiko hit him over the head but smiled too. "OW!"

"Yeah… I guess so…" Nyako said. She wasn't sure how to act around all of the tante, considering that this was just normal to them.

"Sit." Hiei demanded. He motioned over towards Kurama, who was smiling from ear to ear and looked like the happiest kid in a candy store. Nyako silently walked over towards him and found herself pulled into the biggest hug she had ever felt.

"God I was so worried…" Kurama whispered into her cat ear. He kissed each one gently and pulled her as close as he could. Nyako blushed and felt the warmth of his hands on her face.

"Ecchhheeemmm." Yusuke interrupted, pointing over towards the rest of the group who had nervous expressions on their faces.

"Oh right. We won't be back." Kurama smiled and pulled Nyako back down the hall towards her room.

{I have to talk to you.} He told her.

{I figured as much.} She replied.

Kurama pulled her into the room she had just come from. He looked over her and felt chills wash over him. The moon light caught her pale face and her fierce eyes and illuminated them. Nyako looked at the red head and noticed his generally green eyes were golden, a liquid amber. She let her hands wander up towards his face and feel his skin. It was warm, and his eyes spoke more than the words he wanted to say.

"Boy wonder…??" She asked him. Kurama felt the worry and the fear well up over the lust and finally take him down. Kurama felt his knees get weak, and he let himself drop to the ground carefully. Nyako grabbed his shoulders and leaned him towards her.

{I'm so sorry. I just… I was so worried, and… I thought you might die if you didn't choose to come back.} Kurama thought.

{Shh. I'm back because of you. Because of everyone. I've apparently got a lot to take care of.} Nyako reassured him. Kurama smiled at her and pulled her close to him. Her warmth seemed like a reassuring message that every thing was going to be fine.

"Stay with me." Kurama asked Nyako softly. Nyako nudged his side playfully.

"Where else would I go?" She said. Kurama shook his head.

"No. Forever. Stay with me forever." Kurama turned his head and looked at Nyako, her black cat ears, her two tails swishing on the floor nervously. Nyako's eyes were wide, and she met his gaze confused.

"For-forever forever?" She said. Kurama nodded.

"The only kind of forever that I am aware of." He responded. Nyako laughed nervously. She felt her tails thump against the ground excitedly.

"Uhhh…" Nyako thought. Kurama laughed.

"You don't have to answer right now. But soon. I want you with me, no matter where I go. We can always run off to the Makai for a few years… or I can wait if you want to go to college. I don't care. I want you with me." Kurama finished. He was looking at the ceiling, like it held more importance than Nyako's big eyes did. She could feel her heart jumping in her chest, and her eyes were as wide as they could possibly be.

"Is that like some weird marriage proposal? Because if it was… it really sucked. You should be on one knee and all that jazz…" Nyako propped herself up on her elbows and stared at the kitsune, who finally turned to look at her. Kurama sighed and rolled over till he was straddling Nyako's waist.

"Would this be better?" Kurama smirked. Nyako's face turned a deep crimson color and she was covered in a magenta mist again.

"I warned you!" Nyako yelled. Kurama laughed as he looked at Nyako's full nekomatta form. She looked like a fuzzy little kitten with two tails.

"Come here you." Kurama picked up Nyako and scratched her behind the ears. Nyako purred happily and tried to scratch Kurama to get him to stop.

{I hate you.} Nyako growled.

{I love you.} Kurama laughed.

{Shut up and scratch the other ear.} Nyako demanded. {I love you too…}

{I know.} Kurama smiled.

# # # # # # # # # # END END END END # # # # # # # # # # #

That's it! Woot! Mmkay… well, that is technically a lie. It isn't THE END! There are always possibilities… and I feel like maybe I want to add more. So I might add something to it in the future or what ever… Idk.

I can always edit. Thank you SOOOOOO much to everyone who reads and reviews!! You are like… my life savers! Woooot! UGH! You have no idea how great it is to finish a fic! And this makes my… 4th if I'm not crazy! Haha. That is a REALLY big accomplishment! Give me some lovels!

Nyako: *pouts* That was kind of stupid!

Kurama: *huggles Nyako* You are just upset because you turned into a nekomatta again!

Hiei: agreed.

Yusuke: Wow… Hiei AGREED! XD

Hiei: *glares* Watch it. Or I kill you.

Nyako: HIEI! *hides behind Hiei*

Hiei: *blushes* WHAT?!

Nyako: Kurama is trying to put a collar on me!! =(

Bunny: Though I believe we did talk about that into the intro… *thinks* *checks* yes we did. You should probably put it on so we don't get sued Nyako. *smiles*

Nyako: NOOOOO!! *pouts*

Kurama: *puts the pink collar on* WOOT! MINE!

Bunny: Legal property says she is M.I.N.E. LOSER! *happy dance*

Kurama: *cries* *pouts*

Bunny: *sighs* FINE! Damnit! X(

Read and review and leave the lovels!

Love, Bunny


	14. Epilogue: Epilogue

_**Epilogue:**_

Yusuke and Kuwabara ran through the kitchen, destroying all the hard work that Keiko, Yukina, and Botan had done. The girls shooed them out of the kitchen with utensils and the occasional piece of food. Genkai paced by the front door, waiting for her special guests to appear at any moment.

"Waiting for someone important?" A voice came from behind the old master. It was short and sassy, but filled with a new sense of happiness.

"AH! NYAKO!" Genkai hugged the young woman tightly, taking in all the differences that five years had on her human body.

"Hi. It has been a while, huh?" Nyako smiled and looked at the aging woman. It had been a while since she had seen large groups of ningens.

"Let's get you three inside!" Genkai added and quickly ushered in her company.

"HEY! Somebody ask for Uncle Yusuke?!" Yusuke came out from the kitchen excitedly and looked around for the baby.

"Do you ever stop being an idiot?" Hiei asked as he stood next to Nyako and Kurama. Yusuke pouted and grabbed a pregnant Keiko from the kitchen.

"Come on! It's all the rage! Keiko and I are doing it!" Yusuke added.

"Yes, Yusuke, we can SEE that…" Nyako laughed. Kurama held tightly around his wife's waist. Every time he reminded himself that he was married, it made his heart race.

"Yeesh! Get going with the baby making! I'm still trying to convince Yukina to marry Kuwabara!" Yusuke sighed and headed back towards the kitchen. Hiei's aura flared and was angry enough to kill the detective as he headed towards the kitchen.

{Be gentle.} Nyako reminded the Jaganshi.

{Hnn.}

"Tell me why you had a private wedding!" Keiko asked as she attempted to sit down. Kurama held out the chair for her and Keiko thanked him. In the kitchen, Nyako could hear Hiei pull his katana and threaten the detective.

"She just wanted it to be quick. Her father doesn't know, and we plan to fix that while we are here…" Kurama stared at his wife. Nyako laughed nervously.

"Hey! It was hard enough to tell him that I was traveling where cell phones and post cards don't work, AND make it convincing. I could have given the old man a heart attack…" Nyako sighed. Keiko made a quick "ooh" sound and Nyako smiled.

"It's the baby. Sweet, but sometimes I think this baby is all Yusuke's. Loves to fight. 24/7." Keiko smiled. Nyako placed her hand on Keiko's belly and smiled. She felt the tiny feet kick against the girl's stomach.

"So cute. I'm so happy for you. I'm really sorry we couldn't be at the wedding. Did you get our gifts?" Nyako asked excitedly. Keiko winked and laughed.

"What do you think??" The young woman pointed to her growing belly. Nyako laughed and nodded. Kurama watched her as she carried on talking about her adventures in the Makai and how she was learning to love it just as much as the Ningenkai.

" It isn't as great as I thought it was. Not a vacation! But I'm learning a lot that I wouldn't have if I just stayed here. Besides… I've got the two best guides ever!" Nyako laughed. Hiei came back in the room and put his katana back.

"You didn't hurt him too bad did you? It isn't like I can work right now, Hiei." Keiko asked. Hiei "hnned" and out stumbled Yusuke, black and blue, but walking and still alive. Nyako smirked and waited for Hiei to sit next to her, but he didn't. He walked back to the front door and stopped before leaving.

"Mukuro wants me back." He said before he left.

"He works too hard." Kurama smiled. Nyako inwardly smirked.

{He doesn't do anything but avoid getting hit on by her!} Nyako thought.

{That's a lot of work!} Kurama added.

{True.}

"So when can we expect our first litter of half kitsunes and half nekomattas?" Yusuke asked seriously. Nyako looked up towards the ceiling.

"I'm not sure if they come in litters…" She thought out loud. Kurama blushed and didn't say anything.

"I don't know if we can discuss this at the table." Kurama grabbed his wife's hand and squeezed it.

"Oh. Right. The point is… not until we do the whole fancy wedding of Boy-wonder's dreams." Nyako rolled her eyes and laughed. Kurama nodded and seemed content. Genkai felt an over whelming sense of pride through out her.

"You know your mother would be proud of you." Genkai said softly. Nyako nodded and smiled.

"She's with me. Every where. And she has already given me the talk…and expressed her concerns that I should give my father some grandbabies." Nyako sighed. "Seems like I'm just getting the third degree from everyone!" She smiled.

{Kids don't sound so bad…} She thought.

{Oh really?? We could go and get started on that…} Youko teased.

{Not at this moment kitsune!} Nyako soothed.

"Well, it would be nice to have some new blood to train." Genkai admitted. She looked at Keiko who just laughed.

"Yusuke is so excited about having a kid. He hopes it is a boy. I hope it is too. That way the little guy can drive him crazy." Keiko said. Kuwabara came out with Yukina, holding her hand.

"Kazuma asked me to marry him!" Yukina cried. Everyone looked at the two of them and smiled, knowing that Yukina probably didn't know what 'marriage' was. But it was adorable. Kuwabara was grinning and never seemed happier.

"I guess you two just keep bringing good news with you!" Genkai said. Nyako shrugged. She had a feeling that things would be fine, just so long as she was honest.

"I hope my father feels that way." Nyako replied. Genkai touched her hand and looked her directly in the eyes.

"Your father will be so happy for you. He and Kurama got a long fine back when you were in a coma. Though I'm sure he will want to know the truth." Genkai said.

"Yeah. That is the problem." Nyako admitted. Kurama squeezed her hand.

"My mom wasn't sure what to make of it when I told her, but she was happy and she loves me because I am still her child. And she loves you. Very much. Remember how happy she was when we went to see her today? Ecstatic!" Kurama beamed. His mother was happy that Kurama had found someone just like him to spend his days with. She had also hinted at the kids thing.

"Yeah. Alright, I will try to get it off my mind." Nyako said.

"So when are you thinking about having the wedding?" Keiko asked Kurama, the obvious head master of the wedding plans.

"August. It's a good month." He added. Nyako shrugged and seemed more content to let him do all the planning. She didn't even want a big wedding. Or one at all.

{Compromise. That's what marriage is about.} Nyako reminded herself.

{And lots of-}

{YES! Okay! That too! I get it! Calm down kitsune!} Nyako reminded her husband. Suddenly her stomach felt all fluttery. It happened every time she mentioned to herself that she was now a married woman, to a fox youkai, and that they would be together forever. It was only mentioned every few hours; but it still caught her off guard.

"Yeah, August sounds fine." Nyako added. She felt her human figure almost shrink as she remembered what it was like to run in the Makai in her youkai form. It was exhilarating and she would take all the icky rain and lower level youkai for the chance to run around in the endless forests of the Makai.

"Are you even listening?" Genkai asked Nyako. Nyako snapped back from her day dream and shook her head no.

"What do you want?" She asked. Genkai laughed and rolled her eyes.

"I asked if you and Kurama would like to stay in the temple while you are here. Keep up with us." Genkai said. Nyako glared at her and nodded.

"That would be great. Thanks."

"I think we should take a walk really quick before dinner is done!" Kurama reminded his wife. Nyako nodded and excused herself from the table. The two sat on the steps at the back of the temple and looked out into the forests.

"So you ready for this?" Kurama asked Nyako. She laced her fingers around his and stared at him.

"No. It's been five years with the occasional phone call and post card. He'll be pissed." Nyako sighed. Kurama breathed deeply and Nyako looked at him suspiciously.

"I… kind of kept in contact more than you…" Kurama admitted. Nyako glared at him and scooted away.

"What do you mean….MORE THAN me?" She asked, curiously. Kurama smiled.

"Every time I talked to my mother, I called your father. He's had a full report since we left." Kurama said. Nyako sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Wow. I thought I was bad. I wrote him long letters, and mailed them all every time we came back. Sorry." Nyako laughed. "I guess we both were home sick." She tossed her long hair back and looked at her husband.

"Yeah. But at least you know he won't be mad!" Kurama pointed out.

"That is true. Very true." Nyako said. She was quiet for a while, before she decided to voice what was on her mind. "Why don't we have kids?" She asked. Kurama looked at her, shocked.

"I thought you wouldn't want them." Kurama said honestly.

"You never asked kitsune." Nyako replied. Kurama agreed.

"But you never said you wanted them until now." He pointed out.

"Well. I guess I'm saying I do. So there. I want your children. That good enough for you!?" She growled. Kurama's eyes flashed a pretty shade of amber and he smirked.

"Just what I wanted to hear."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ END ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Okay. That was really the end. And I'm done with this one! WOOT!

I know that was kind of odd, and bear with me the fact that it really depends on my taste in characters and who I believe is better paired up. In my opinion… Kuwabara and Yukina probably shouldn't be together… it is just kind of weird… lol! And I really wish I had the chance to get another character to pair Hiei with- but it didn't happen this fic! Oh well, maybe next one! But Keiko and Yusuke HAD to be pregnant. I'm just telling you. That HAD to happen! Hahah! Gotta love my sense of humor!

Lovels, Bunny.

Kurama and Nyako: BYE!

Keiko and Yusuke: JA!

Hiei: Hnn (Get out of here)

Kuwabara and Yukina: Bye Bye!

Genkai: Go already!

Bunny: See ya next fic!

P.s.- I am TOTALLY sorry about the fact that Botan doesn't really make a lot of appearances… if any I think in this fic. I guess that is the luck of the draw. I feel bad though. Really I do. I declare my undying love for Botan RIGHT NOW. I LOVE HER. (and every other YYH character…) but I still feel bad! To my Botan fans- I'm sooooo sorry, won't happen again =]


End file.
